Earthbound
by SweetStories11
Summary: Zutara,sequel to C.H. Zuko and Katara go to a new town in the Earth Kingdom and a family takes them in. Naoki sets himself into a plot to get rid of fire nation, and the entire time Katara is unsuspecting of someone's feelings for her.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Those who have read _Captured Hearts_, you may proceed to the beginning of this chapter.

For those who haven't read closely and attentively. If you have not read _Captured Hearts_, there is not much of a way to read this fic without being confused. Therefore, I suggest that you go to my profile and read _Captured Hearts_ first. If you really, really, REALLY don't want to do that, then I will give the beginning synopsis of the first part in this trilogy.

BACKGROUND: Princess Katara? Yes. She is royalty of the northern water tribe, along with Princess Yue, and Prince Sokka. Here's the tricky part: Yue and Sokka are sister and brother, but Katara is their half-sister. How's that? Well, Gran-Gran stayed to marry Pakku, so Katara's grandfather is the well-known Master Water Bender! Let's see… so Katara's mother's first husband died, so she married Yue and Sokka's dad, leader of the water tribe. THEN she had Katara. Do you understand this complicated mess? Lol So in essence, Katara's mom, let's call her Shira, is still alive and well. Her dad, leader of the water tribe will be called, Nasu. They have NOT discovered Aang. That is a major key to this. They are just living normal lives, wondering when the Fire Nation will attack. Here comes Zuko into this fic. His mission IS NOT to capture the Avatar. He is Iroh's son, and his cousin Zula is heir to the throne, so basically he is second-rate royalty. His mission is to find out as much as possible about the water tribe and report back, but really he is banished because he attacked Zula.

_One more thing_, everyone is a year older, so Zuko- 17, Katara- 16, Sokka/Yue 17. Right off the bat, I'm going to tell you that their personalities are different.

I won't say anything more, because I still think it would be wise to go check out Captured Hearts first. Okay then, I guess I'll start now :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar or anything associated with it. That right belongs to Nick :D

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**OH! HOLD ON! IMPORTANT! EVERYONE MUST READ THIS!**

I have two new OC's for this fic! They hail from the earth kingdom village of Denati and they are brother and sister. Their names are Naoki So, he's seventeen years old, and Emi So, she's his younger sister at sixteen years of age. I've asked a favor and I got a good friend to make me a fanart of these two! SO GO TO THIS LINK! www. deviantart. com/view /35909757

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**Earthbound**

_"There are those that are bound to the earth, by power and strength. There are also those who wish to gain this influence, and themselves become earthbound, as they seek what is like to be one with the soil that gives us life."_

Chapter 1

The soft green grass rolled along as the wind poured through the clear blue sky. Only wisps of white were seen from the warm ground that they laid on. In three months, many things had changed. For instance, the three travelers had flown into the beautiful vast lands of the Earth Kingdom. An increasing shock and awareness flowed through the beautiful woman's arms and legs as she walked through the fields of long grass and as she inhaled the wonderful scents of numerous flowers that she hadn't seen before. A man with a scar on the left side of his face smiled as he observed the woman's actions. He had traveled through these lands before, but for the ex-princess, this was a completely new experience.

"Hey! Look at me guys! I just learned a new trick!"

The young avatar twisted himself around and created a small ball of cycling air underneath him. Zuko and Katara looked over their shoulders and smiled as they shielded their eyes with their hands. There were a few trees nearby, and they were beginning to show their tiny green leaves. Aang flew upwards with his staff, and once he was above the tree, he let his legs fall freely, allowing the spinning ball to drop straight down onto the tree. The branches bowed simultaneously and then reverberated back up. The avatar swooped down near his friends and then bowed himself.

"Aang, that was so cool! It looked like the tree was bowing down to you!"

Katara laughed slightly and Zuko let out a tiny chuckle. The three of them sighed and Zuko wiped the beads of sweat off of his forehead. The sun was bearing down on them and he couldn't take much more, even though he was indeed a fire bender. His added hair length didn't help him that much either. After they left the North Pole, Katara convinced Zuko to get rid of his ponytail, because it would attract too much attention and someone could recognize them quickly. Following her advice, he had cut his hair and he had grown it out so that it was a little over an inch long. Zuko now ran his hands through his hair quite often, and it had become a habit of his.

"Is there a stream of water nearby? I really need to drink some water."

Katara craned her neck around and then closed her eyes. She breathed in deeply and a second later, opened her eyes instantly.

"Yeah, there's one just over that horizon."

She pointed to her right and then Aang mounted up on Appa's back. They followed him on top and then with a grip of the reigns, the enormous white flying bison pushed off the ground and began to soar in the air. Zuko and Katara had grown accustomed to this type of traveling; the air flowing through her hair, feeling it zip right past their faces, and most of all, the best feeling was that of freedom. The open skies allowed them to soar as far away from their past as possible. Little did they know that they were being followed.

In a matter of a few seconds, a cool blue line darted across the vast fields of green. Appa slowed down and soon enough, the three of them were on their feet again. Zuko practically ran to the stream and cupped his hands in the flowing water. He smiled happily as he poured the cool liquid over his head. As Katara stepped next to him, Zuko shook his head violently and drops of water spilled onto her.

"Zuko! Watch it! You got me all wet!"

Aang appeared near their side and nodded his head.

"Yeah, you're even worse than Appa!"

They heard a loud grunt come from the bison and the three of them laughed. Katara closed her eyes and then started to move her arms in repetitive wavy motions. A smile crept on her face and then she twirled herself, causing the trail of water to follow. The liquid glistened in the sunlight and she laughed cheerfully. Suddenly, she had an idea and stopped right in front of Zuko. Her arms pushed forwards and the water splashed all over him. Aang let out a burst of laughter and a smirk replaced the smile on Katara's delighted face.

"Oops, I'm sorry Zuko! Did _I_ do that?"

He narrowed his eyes as he stepped towards her and then breathed out, exhaling all of the temper forming inside of him. Zuko shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes.

"No need to apologize. I _thank_ you for doing that. It _is_ very hot you know."

She watched him walk away from her and sit down in the shade of a tree. Katara huffed and put her hands on her hips. Aang stifled a laugh and she growled angrily. The splash of water should have started a fight between the two of them; of course she liked it when they fought, it brought their elements close to each other. All of a sudden, Zuko didn't feel the breeze blow by against his soaking clothes. He opened his eyes and then sat up, patting his clothes surprisingly.

"What just happened? My clothes are dry!"

Katara cocked her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh I have _no_ idea."

Zuko narrowed his gaze as Aang and Katara laughed merrily together. He waved his hand and then lay back down. The day was wonderfully relaxing and he would just sit and do nothing for once. Katara and Aang started to play around in the river, letting some water bending practice come in for the day. They each moved their arms in symmetrical motions and then suddenly Katara let her water drop.

"Aang, I think it's time you learned the final move."

He let his hands drop to his sides and his mouth parted open.

"What? I don't know if I'm ready yet!"

She smiled and cocked her head.

"Just go inside the river and close your eyes. Think about the water and do what you feel is most powerful. Remember, powerful doesn't necessarily mean that the attack is strong."

He nodded his head and then stepped into the river. His arms rose over his head and then he put his hands inside the cold water. He felt the sting of the liquid rushing against his bare skin and then he pulled his arms up. A gigantic waterfall rose and sprouted through his outstretched arms. Katara clapped her hands together and her mouth spread into a joyous grin. Even Zuko opened his eyes to see what the Avatar was doing. Suddenly, his eyes widened as the water came falling out of the sky. The drops turned into spikes and then all he could do was shield himself with fire. But after a few moments passed, and the buzzing sound of the daggers piercing the air subsided, he looked up and saw that the water had melted onto the leaves of the trees. His mouth hung open as Katara ran up to Aang and hugged him fiercely. Zuko crossed his arms and looked away. He hadn't been afraid, and to give that image off, he laid back down as if nothing happened.

"Aang! You did it! You used the water and created a natural flowing attack! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you Katara," he put his hands together and bowed, "thank you for all of your help and for training me to think like a water bender!"

They smiled and walked back onto the grass. The sun poured over them and Appa rolled over as the wind came flowing through the rustling trees. It was good to feel so warm, inside and outside.

..:-:..

In a small town called Denati, a tall young man pushed his clenched fists into a wall behind his house. Numerous dents marked the wall, each one made over days of practice. He had deep green eyes and a small scar underneath his left eye. It was minor and no one really paid any attention to it, but with his wispy and spiky hair, his rogue image became even more so. As he punched the wall another time, a young woman, almost as old as her brother, came outside with a jug of water. Her warm gentle smile filled her already beautiful face with even more radiance. A soft green bandanna held her dark auburn hair back and the sunlight bounced on her face playfully. She was the complete opposite of her brother, but they shared one thing in common; the two siblings were extremely hardworking and they never took anything that they possessed for granted. The So Family was poor, and their little house on the work fields was all they could afford. Nonetheless, the family lived on happily, thankful for each and every day that they lived together.

"Naoki! Are you going to help me feed the animals or what?"

He turned around and then sighed deeply as he saw his sister carrying the jug of water. A basket of seeds was placed at her heels and he walked up to her with an exasperated look on his face.

"Give that to me, you know you can't carry such heavy weight Emi. Or do you _want_ to become even more weak?"

He took the jug from her and she looked down at the ground sadly.

"I'm sorry, it's just… how am I supposed to get stronger? I've had this problem ever since I was little and I know we can't afford to see a doctor, but I just feel so meager."

They walked over to the animal pen and Naoki smiled down at his sister.

"You're not like that at all Emi. You're always trying to help everyone around you, when really we should be the ones helping you."

She sighed and then he put his arm around her.

"You're such a good big brother, did you know that?"

He let go and then set the jug down.

"I know."

..:-:..

The three weary travelers had enough of the sun and began their journey onwards. If they didn't find a village to rest at soon, they would be overwhelmed with the heat of the sun. Katara lay back onto Zuko's chest and the two of them closed their eyes for a bit of sleep. Aang steered Appa as usual, but for a moment he looked back, and when he saw Zuko's arms around Katara, he looked away saddened. He knew that the two of them had feelings for each other, and he didn't let his own surface because he knew it would just be pointless. Nevertheless, he was still lonely. The two of them were much older than he was, and he wanted someone his own age to have fun with.

Katara opened her eyes lazily, in time to see Aang turn away with a sad look in his eyes. The sun wasn't so high up in the sky anymore and she sat up lazily. Zuko stirred and his eyes winced as her presence left him. He yawned and slowly opened his eyes, only to see Katara looking away with troubling thoughts passing through her head. She turned around when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Oh Zuko… I feel awful."

She was whispering into his ear, and then he pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Why do you feel awful, you didn't do anything wrong."

Katara glanced at Aang's back and continued to whisper to Zuko.

"I know, but doesn't it seem like Aang is a bit sad? I mean, it's not like we're the best friends that he only wished he could have. He's a nice kid, and I know he's the avatar, but don't you think he should have friends besides us, maybe his own age?"

Zuko's eyes shifted to look at the avatar and then he nodded as he gazed back onto her face.

"You're right. We will try to find someone in the next town."

Katara smiled with delight and kissed him quickly. As she pulled away Zuko looked at her with adoration and she could tell there was a bit of longing in his golden orbs for something more than just a quick peck on the lips. Suddenly, the two lovebirds took their heads out of the clouds when they heard an excited exclamation.

"Look over there! I see a town!"

Katara and Zuko peered over the saddle and tons of houses dotted the landscape underneath them. The green hills rolled onwards at all the sides of the town and without thinking, Aang reeled Appa to a stop. The townspeople started to gap and stare at the huge creature. Many people began to worry and someone left to go get the person in charge, or at least someone of a high position in their town. Aang, Katara and Zuko got off of Appa and walked into the town. Everyone moved aside and looked at them with wide eyes. Suddenly, a short man came running up to them. He was stout and round, but he wore a pair of glasses and a hat that made it clear that he was a man of authority.

"You three! What is your purpose coming to this town?"

Katara smiled and bowed.

"We are here to look for food and shelter."

"What about that _thing_ over there?"

Aang flew up and hugged Appa's head. Gasps echoed throughout the crowd that gathered to welcome the group of travelers. The short and plump man stepped back in shock and he put a hand to his heart.

"Appa won't hurt anyone! He's really gentle even though he's big!"

Zuko looked around curiously and then he spotted a little girl in a white dress. She was looking towards Aang with curiosity but taller men and women overshadowed her so that she couldn't see. Sadness overcame her expression and that was when Zuko pointed her out to Katara. She saw at once what Zuko noticed and then she turned back to face the man.

"You're the Avatar!"

Aang nodded happily and then suddenly he was taken away in the hands of a mob of people. They cheered and clapped joyously. Appa was given mounds of hay immediately and soon the street cleared. Dust sprinkled itself in front of Zuko and Katara, who stood rooted to the ground dumbstruck.

"What just happened?"

"Uh, I think they just welcomed us into town."

Katara took a deep breath of air and then sighed.

"Right."

They turned around and then a fluttering white dress caught their eyes. Zuko and Katara walked over to the girl who hadn't left the street to follow the crowd of Avatar worshipers.

"Hi there."

The girl didn't look up and she didn't smile. Katara smiled hesitantly and Zuko shrugged his shoulders.

"My name is Katara, and this is Zuko. Why didn't you go follow Aang and the crowd?"

She kept looking straight away into the distance and then her lips parted slightly.

"Aang…"

"Yes, that's his name. So why didn't you go? Didn't you want to meet the Avatar?"

Zuko's harsh tone caused the little girl's gray eyes to look even more sorrowful. Katara elbowed him in the ribs and he winced, pain searing into his side.

"I'm sorry about that. Zuko can be a bit inconsiderate at times, but he means well. So, what's your name?"

A small voice popped out of her mouth as she answered Katara's question.

"Toph… I'm Toph. Could you…I don't have any friends…"

Katara clasped her mouth over her hands and then grabbed Toph by the arm. Zuko's eyes flashed open with amazement. She was never this adamant about getting something to happen.

"Don't worry, I'll take you to Aang. The two of you will be the best of friends!"

Moments later, they heard the cheers of the crowd and they pushed their way passed anxious women and children. Aang was twirling a pebble in circles and the crowd was roaring with cheers. Suddenly he stopped when Zuko and Katara appeared. A faint laugh came from behind them and then he looked at the two of them curiously.

"Who's that behind you?"

Toph stepped out and smiled shyly at the avatar. Aang's eyes lit up and he ran up to his friends. The girl looked about his age and she was in a very pretty dress.

"Hi! I'm Aang, who are you?"

"I'm…I'm Toph."

Aang stretched out his hand and as Zuko and Katara watched, he put an arm around her. They smiled; Aang would finally have a friend his own age. Out of nowhere however, the girl took the Avatar's hand and pulled him closer to her. The earth around them moved up towards the sun and the crowd gasped. Aang looked at Toph with wonder and she smiled.

"You're an earth bender?"

"Of course I am. What, did you think that I was a little puny girl or something?"

Her image had changed completely. Her voice was commanding and confident, sure of everything she was doing. Aang's smile widened and he put his hands to his head.

"That is so cool! You're pretending to be a helpless little girl, when really you are tough and strong!"

"Of course. I like to get people off of their guards, just like now. Everyone is out there wondering what just happened. Hear them?"

He tilted his head towards the outside and nodded.

"Yup. That's so funny… hey! I just got an idea! Since I'm the Avatar, I need to learn all of the elements… would you be my teacher? I could stay here and we could have fun all the time!"

She crossed her arms and then put a finger on in her chin as if she was in deep thought.

"Are you sure about that? What if I told you I was blind?"

The excitement that was on Aang's face doubled and he jumped up.

"I can't believe it! And yet you can still do everything by yourself! You've just got to be my teacher Toph!"

She smiled. Her hands rose over her head and then they fell to her sides. The sun appeared above their heads once again and the people surrounded them, a hundred questions being poured over them at once. Zuko and Katara looked at Aang to see if he was all right. The Avatar levitated and everyone quieted at once.

"I am fine. My friend Toph and I were having a little fun is all."

Before the crowd could surround them again, Toph, Aang, Zuko and Katara ran away and out of sight. They fled to Toph's mansion and when they stepped inside of it, their jaws dropped. Pools and fountains of water cascaded the entire establishment, and it was enveloped with more soft grass and plants. They spent the day playing around and getting to know one another. Zuko and Katara were as shocked with the news that Toph was an earth bender, just as much as anyone else would have been. Soon enough, the sun began to set and it was time to say goodbye.

"Aang, can we talk to you for a second?"

He nodded his head and the three of them walked out onto the porch. Toph's parents had been delighted to invite the avatar to stay with them.

"We just wanted to let you know that even though we might have only been friends for a short time,"

"that we appreciate the help you've given us."

Katara hugged Aang and she smiled.

"Learn from Toph and stay here. We'll come back in a few months and then Zuko will teach you to fire bend."

Aang nodded solemnly and then he sighed.

"I just don't understand why the two of you have to leave."

Zuko and Katara looked at each other for a second and then Katara took the Avatar's hands in hers.

"Uh…we need to go check on Zuko's family. We'll be back soon, I promise."

"Okay then…"

There was a loud crash that came from inside of the house and Aang sped away inside to check it out. Zuko and Katara picked up their bags and started to make their way out of town. The orange filled sky cast warm glows on their faces as their feet left footprints in the grass. They were heading south of the town, to a village that was called Denati. A townsperson had told them that it was a farming and mining community and that they would find board and work there very easily. As soon as the town they had left was out of view, Zuko stopped and took Katara in his arms. His lips pressed against hers fiercely and she pulled on his neck firmly. Their hearts pounded inside of their chests, and when they pulled apart, they had to catch their breaths. Katara smiled and hugged Zuko as he twirled her around.

"I haven't really tasted how sweet your lips are you know that Katara? Not until just now…"

She smirked at him and then put her head on top of his chest. They were sitting against a tree and they watched as the sky began to turn darker. Suddenly, as the crickets began to chirp, Zuko plucked a flower and observed it. Katara lifted her head for an instant and then her jaw dropped. It was the most beautiful flower she had ever seen. Its soft white petals curled slightly and delicate green leaves sprouted from the stem. Little pink buds grew inside of it and its scent smelled like vanilla. Zuko saw the smile on her face and then he handed the flower to Katara.

"It's for you Katara."

She sat up and took the fascinating flower into her hands.

"Thank you Zuko, it's beautiful! What kind of flower is this?"

He peered closely to it and then nodded cheerfully.

"It's not just an ordinary flower Katara. This is a very rare and delicate flower called Lovaris. The Lovaris flower can only be found in very remote parts of the Earth Kingdom. Because of its beauty and delicacy, not many people see it in groups. They tend to grow separately and near trees because of the shade."

Katara gazed up at Zuko and her lips curled into a smile.

"How do you know so much about a flower?"

He put his arms around her and pulled her into him.

"That's my little secret. But how could I not know so much about something that almost matches you in its beauty?"

She turned to him and tears started to form in her eyes. His hands brushed over her cheeks softly and she laughed gently.

"Look at me, I'm getting all emotional because of a stupid flower."

Zuko pulled her face into his and kissed her softly. The tears stopped flowing and when she pulled away she had a warm smile on her face. For three months, she had felt reserved when she was with Zuko. It felt so nice to just be carefree about her feelings with him. Everyday he kept to himself, and now he let her know that he still cared about her very deeply. She hugged him tightly and rested her head on his chest once more. Katara curled up to him and Zuko rubbed her shoulder. The two of them watched the sun fade into the distance and soon the stars appeared in the sky. Katara sighed and closed her eyes, the Lovaris gently grasped in between her fingers.

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**A/N:** So? Did you like it? I had a hard time starting this fic… but I'm really glad I finally overcame my discouragement and wrote it! This is planned out for ten chapters, like it's precedent fic, and if everything goes well… there should be a third installment to make it a trilogy :D But that's very far into the future and it might not happen… but we'll see! 

I know most of you are probably like, what? Aang is gone already? But I'd like to remind you that there are two new characters and I think you'll like them very much ;) Thanks for reading! Have a great day!

-Monika-


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I don't know if this chapter is as good... I had a hard time writing it :( Here you go though! maybe the next chapter will go better...

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Chapter 2

A most perfect night of rest was flowered upon Zuko and Katara. The breeze gently swept by as the rolling meadows rustled in their ears. Katara took a deep breath as her eyes started to open slowly. Her head was lifted as Zuko's chest rose up and down. She sat up herself and then kissed him gently. As she pulled away, Zuko's eyes fluttered open and a smile formed on his face.

"Good morning Zuko. Sleep well?"

He pushed himself up on his elbows and then yawned.

"Of course I did. You were in my arms, how could I not?"

She smiled playfully and giggled as he brought her closer and nibbled on her ear.

"Zuko, stop! It tickles!"

He let her go and the two of them stood up. They hadn't necessarily made camp that night, so they gathered their belongings and started onwards. The sunlight beamed down on them once again, but there were passing clouds and once in a while they were rewarded with shade. It was sometime later in the afternoon when they finally saw little houses spread far apart from one another.

"I think that's Denati over there!"

They began to rush towards the small city. On its outskirts were farms for a few miles and then a long stream of forest surrounded Denati on all sides. As they walked through the fields leading up to the town, a small stone path formed underneath their feet and they nodded to each other. Zuko led the way and Katara followed him. Suddenly, there was a strong gust of wind and Katara had to hold onto Zuko. The trees swayed violently in the background and the clouds swept through the sky rapidly. As quickly as it had come, it was gone, and it was then that Katara and Zuko realized that no one was in sight.

..:-:..

"Naoki, will you hurry up?"

He rolled his eyes and took the basket of seeds towards the house.

"I'm coming mom!"

The sweltering heat suddenly vanished when a burst of wind swept by. Naoki put the basket down instantly and shielded it with his body. There was no telling how much seed had been swept away, but the wind died down and everything was back to normal. Naoki walked inside his small house and his mother smiled at him as he put the basket down. She was slightly shorter than him and slender. Her long brown hair flowed straight down her back and a small band was entwined with her hair.

"Thank you son. I think that your father wants you to go work out in the fields with him now. Emi will be there I suppose. Could you ask her to come inside? I need her help with something."

He nodded and then made his way outside again after he pushed the curtain aside. Naoki put his hand to his forehead and sighed. In the distance near the forest, he saw his father and sister as two small figures in a dark green shadow. He started to make his way towards them when he saw that one of them was coming to him already. In the middle of the fields, Emi's bright face greeted him and he smiled.

"Mom wants you inside. You shouldn't be spending so much time outdoors anyways."

She nodded and put her hands on her hips.

"I know, I was just wanted to see dad for a while."

Suddenly a bucket of water crashed on top of Naoki's head and it spilled down all of the sides of his hair. His hair started to drip the water and it plastered to his face like a mop. Emi stifled a laugh and her eyes shined with amusement. Naoki pulled his wet bangs aside and then gave his sister an evil smile.

"Would you like to get wet too? Because it would be no problem to get another bucket of water…"

Suddenly Emi stood back and gripped her hands fearfully.

"Oh, my wrists! They hurt Naoki! Please don't do anything!"

He ran and started to chase after her but she headed for the house and he heard a whistle come from the fields. He stopped and watched Emi's flapping hair disappear. With a violent shake of his head, many drops of water went flying everywhere. He looked up and saw the sun up above him. Naoki turned around and walked towards his father; another long day of work was ahead of him.

..:-:..

Katara and Zuko kept walking until they saw something move in one of the houses. She looked at him and he nodded, placing one foot in front of the other, making his way towards the movement. Zuko put his hand through his hair and when they finally approached the door, he knocked gently three times. Emi stiffened and looked to her mother in fear. She put down the dishes and put a hand on Emi's shoulder.

"It's going to be all right. They already came fro the monthly payment, so it's most likely no one important."

They heard the three knocks again and Mrs. So went to go open the door. The sunlight streamed in and two shadows spread across the floorboards. She smiled warmly and nodded her head. Zuko and Katara started to feel less apprehensive and walked in after the woman welcomed them in.

"Please do sit down. I assume you are visitors?"

Emi observed the two people cautiously. She hid in a corner and they had not seen her yet, but she saw them. The man seemed to be the same age as her brother, and the woman was maybe the same age as her, she couldn't really tell.

"Thank you so much for letting us in. It is very hot outside and the sun keeps beaming down on us."

Mrs. So nodded sympathetically and started to shuffle around the kitchen, preparing a pair of cool drinks for the weary travelers.

"It's a nice home you have here…."

"Oh, forgive me! I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Mrs. So and I live here with my husband and two children. Speaking of… Emi, what are you doing all the way over there?"

Zuko and Katara looked over to the corner in which Mrs. So's voice was pointed. A slender and beautiful woman came out and smiled hesitantly.

"Hi…my name is Emi."

Katara stood up and smiled. If things turned out well, she would have a friend her own age.

"My name is Katara and this is Zuko."

Katara looked at him and he nodded stiffly. Emi greeted him with a dazzling smile and for a second, Katara wasn't sure what to think of the situation. Zuko seemed a bit less friendly than he usually was with new people. Suddenly, he put his arm around her shoulders and Katara smiled to herself. She didn't have to worry at all, even if Emi was much prettier than her, Zuko didn't seem to think so.

"Nice to meet you two. Where are you from?"

Katara shifted uneasily and so did Zuko. Mrs. So put the cups of tea down on the table and scolded her daughter.

"Emi, if they don't want to say, that is perfectly fine. Please make yourselves at home. If you need a place to stay at, you are more welcome to do so right here."

The outward suggestion wasn't expected but the two of them were completely grateful.

"Oh no, we couldn't possibly just intrude like that. If you insist though, we insist on working for our stay."

Emi started to wash the dishes and looked at her mother.

"I say that's fair enough mom."

Mrs. So sighed and then smiled, nodding her head.

"All right. The two of you can help Emi and Naoki as long as you need to stay here."

Zuko narrowed his eyes and questioned her.

"Who's Naoki?"

"Oh, that's my brother. I think you and him are of the same age."

Zuko fidgeted a bit and swallowed. Emi was in fact very pretty, but her beauty didn't affect. What did though, was that her brother could be as good looking, and then Katara might want to trade in scar faced Zuko, for handsome Naoki.

"Where is he?" Katara asked curiously.

"He's out in the back with my dad."

"But we didn't see anyone outside."

Emi and her mother smiled to one another and then turned to their guests.

"Of course you didn't. Everyone around here works underground."

They looked at her incredulously and their eyes widened.

"How is that possible?"

Emi leaned in closer and whispered.

"Can you keep a secret? You see, most of us are earth benders, but not me. I…I just didn't get the ability."

"Oh…"

Katara nodded and sighed.

"Well then, what can we do for you?"

"Yes, we'll start right away. We will work for our stay like we promised."

Emi smiled as the curtain leading to the fields flapped in the wind.

"All right then. Follow me."

..:-:..

Naoki and his father repeated a traditional style of steps and then at the end of the routine they pushed their arms forward. The pile of rocks was moved aside and they took a deep breath. His father wiped the sweat of his forehead and then looked at his son.

"Do you feel that?"

Naoki tensed up slightly and ruffled his still wet hair. It stuck up everywhere and then suddenly he didn't move. The footsteps above them stopped and they heard Emi's familiar voice.

"So you see, we make tunnels underneath the ground that go all the way to the other side of Denati. Some are different though, because we use them as canals. Oh! There are even some they don't know about! We made them just for ourselves!"

Naoki's father's eyes bulged and so did his son's. Emi was giving away their secrets to some strangers. Naoki ran up the stairs in a flash and his body appeared out of nowhere, surprising Katara who was standing right next to it. She lost her footing but luckily Zuko caught her before she fell. Naoki didn't even look at them, instead, he walked right up to his sister, fuming.

"What are you doing? Why are you telling them everything? And who…"

Suddenly he was jerked back by a strong hand and a man stood facing him, fury written all over his face. Zuko huffed and tried to remain calm, but he couldn't.

"What is your problem? You could have just killed her! Don't you know that there are others besides you that might be walking around here?"

Zuko's fists clenched and his jaw fastened in a snarl. Katara saw this and she immediately stepped in between him and Emi's brother.

"Zuko! Stop this! I'm fine and it was just a mistake. I shouldn't have been standing there anyways."

She turned around and for the first time, Naoki saw her face. Her smile glistened in the sunlight and her skin radiated a smooth sparkle. The first thing that drew him into her gaze were her magnificent blue eyes. His lips cracked into a weak smile and then he realized that his hair was all over the place and that he was covered in dirt. A slight blush spread across his cheeks, but she looked away before she saw it.

"Sorry about that. Zuko gets a bit hot tempered once in a while."

Katara turned back to Zuko who had closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. She put a hand on his arm and that made him open his eyes at once. Zuko took a look at Naoki and then back at his girlfriend. He pulled her into him closer and breathed in the fresh scent of her hair. Katara wrapped her arms around him tightly and then giggled a bit.

"Zuko, you worry too much about me. I'm fine really."

She pulled away but not before he gave her a quick kiss. Instantly, the smile was wiped off of Naoki's face, yet Emi smiled even more brightly. She hadn't known they were _that_ close, but it was really adorable. They suited one another, she thought. But Naoki wasn't thinking like that at all. Instead, he was heartbroken because the single woman he was attracted to already had a suitor. Suddenly they all turned as they heard a cough billow out behind them.

"I tend to forget how bright the sun is out here. Emi, would you care to introduce your friends?"

"Oh yeah! Sorry, I forgot again. This is Zuko and Katara, they will be staying with us and helping us out around the farm. And this is my dad and my brother, Naoki."

Katara smiled and bowed her head, as did Zuko. With his arm around her waist, Zuko smiled.

"We will work our hardest to repay you for your hospitality."

Mr. So nodded and smiled.

"All right then. Let's start right now."

..:-:..

The day had passed by quickly, and Katara couldn't have been more exhausted. She had never had to work like the peasants in her tribe because of her stature in society. But even though she was weak and worked out, she was thrilled because the sensation of accomplishment filled her entire body. Suddenly she looked up to see Zuko standing above her, his hands rubbed her back and she closed her eyes, relaxing. Katara sighed and then laughed softly as she felt his lips kiss her neck tenderly. She took his face in her hands and pressed her lips against his longingly. They were alone in their room, a spare that the So's had been saving for a wandering traveler.

"Zuko, you are amazing, you know that?"

He smiled handsomely and wrapped his arms around her.

"Of course I am."

She giggled again and then the two of them pulled apart and looked up. Naoki had come into their room and he looked away sheepishly. Katara stood up and smiled.

"Hi Naoki, do you need us to do something else before dinner?"

He looked at her and smiled crookedly like before. Zuko wasn't sure why, but he didn't like Emi's brother too much; he always seemed as if he was thinking about something else instead of the topic at hand.

"Oh no Katara, you've done too much already. Both you and Zuko are hard workers. I just came by to tell the two of you that Emi has invited you to go into town with her. She said something about a tour of the town. Sorry if I came at a bad time."

He fidgeted slightly and then looked to the ground.

"No, we were just about to go back into the kitchen anyways."

"Can you knock first though next time?" Zuko asked without hesitation, and Katara poked him in the ribs.

She smiled apologetically at Naoki and he waved his hand.

"It's okay Katara, he's right. I'll remember that next time. See you later."

He disappeared and then Katara turned to Zuko with her eyes crossed.

"Zuko, don't be so rude to him! He's a part of the family that is giving us a place to stay. Don't you think you should be a bit more polite?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"All right, I will, just for you though. He gives me the creeps. It's like he's hiding something."

She sighed as well and then dragged him out of the room. Emi was waiting for them and then she clapped joyously as she saw them approaching.

"There you are! Come on! I have a lot to show you!"

They said their good-byes and left the house. The stars shined in the dark sky and the three of them walked into the city. Zuko and Katara were completely stunned to see lights hanging on the edges of the roofs of almost every building. There were numerous people out and about and there were many restaurants with boisterous families enjoying themselves. Katara leaned into Zuko as they walked through the streets of Denati. Emi was talking freely and joyfully of the town, which she had grown up in, but suddenly the calm and peaceful demeanor of the town, vanished in Zuko's mind. In the alleyway, he spotted a couple of fire nation soldiers and they were harassing a young man. He got away, and the soldiers took a few gold coins off of the ground. Zuko got distracted though as Katara squealed and pulled him over to one of the booths.

..:-:..

The moon was high in the sky and it's light shinned down on the stubborn man. Naoki was at his earth bending wall again and he punched it harder than before. His frustration over Katara was gnawing at his heart. He had to stop thinking about her, or it would drive him insane. Suddenly he heard someone behind him, and he turned sharply.

"Oh, it's just you mom."

"Why don't you come in sweetie? It's getting late and you need your rest."

They turned their heads when they heard a bunch of giggling laughter. Emi and Katara were stumbling towards the house, their arms clutching their sides. Zuko was smiling and they disappeared inside the house. Naoki wished he could be Zuko, just for a few moments, but that wasn't possible. His mother left him, and Naoki turned to the wall, hitting it again, expelling the anger that had built up inside of him. Suddenly he looked out into the distance and saw a small cloud of dust rise in the air. Naoki shrugged and left the mysterious incident in the back of his mind.

* * *

**A/N:** I feel awful, cuz I think this is like... my worst chapter of a Zutara fanfic :( it's short and not much happened... but I'm sorta preparing for what's to come :) hope you liked it! have a wonderful day!

-Monika-


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the last couple of chapters, I know they could have been better... so I hope this makes up for it, at least just a bit lol xD

* * *

Chapter 3

Katara stirred as the light came into their room underneath the curtain. She gripped onto Zuko's robe and then loosened her clasped fingers, yawning. Her eyes fluttered open and she was startled to see Zuko looking down at her, already awake.

"Good morning."

Katara sat up and her jaw dropped. He was fully awake, and must have been for who knows how long.

"Zuko, you're awake! Why didn't you wake me up?"

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. She closed her eyes for the moment and savored the warmth coming from his lips.

"I didn't want to wake you… you looked so peaceful."

Katara smiled and then stood up. The two of them freshened up and went to the kitchen for breakfast. Everyone was there already, and at the sight of all eyes on them, Zuko and Katara blushed madly.

"We're sorry for waking up so late."

"Yes, please excuse us."

Mr. So waved his hand carelessly and smiled.

"It's perfectly fine. The two of you are our guests."

They sat down and Mrs. So gave them both a bowl of porridge. Katara took a bite and the taste buds in her mouth came alive. The delicious nourishment woke her up to the fullest and her eyes shined brightly. Naoki watched her and he smiled amused with her reaction. Emi sat silently and she seemed to be very tired. Dark circles wore out the skin under her eyes, and her eyelids drooped.

"This food is amazing!" Katara exclaimed.

Zuko chuckled to himself and everyone eyed her oddly.

"You've never had porridge in the morning before?"

Katara looked at Zuko and he gave her a warning glance. She hadn't had porridge at the palace. The chefs always made some kind of icy food, and then made it look professional. She never tasted a warm meal before. Even the meat in the North Pole was served cold.

"Uh… of course I have… I just forgot how good it tastes!"

The tension eased and everyone ate peacefully. When Mrs. So took the bowls to the sink, Naoki stood up and began to walk over to them. It was his turn to wash the bowls left after the morning meal, but Katara bolted up and darted over to the sink before he could reach it. She turned to him with a bright smile, her braid flinging this way and that.

"Katara, you don't have to do it… it's my turn anyways."

She shook her head and pushed his hand out of the way. Naoki froze when he felt her hand on his, and when he looked down at it for the brief second, his mouth dropped. But she withdrew her hand quickly and he looked back up at her, scratching the back of his neck.

"No, we are the guests, but we made a promise to help as much as we can."

Zuko glanced at the two of them for a split second, but the cautious feeling went away, and he sighed, his hunger satisfied.

"Okay then, but I'll help you."

He shot a crooked smile her way and she laughed momentarily.

"All right then."

Emi coughed then and Mr. So was the only one to notice. He helped her stand up and then he helped her walk over to the sink.

"Naoki, why don't you let Emi help Katara? I need your help in the fields."

The joy of being with Katara was taken away and he nodded in agreement. Emi looked more tired than usual, it was most likely because of the night they spent in town. He walked away with his father as Emi took his place next to Katara.

"Zuko, why don't you come and help us?"

Katara gave a nod to him and Zuko left outside with the other men. Emi coughed once more and then Katara noticed that something was wrong with her.

"Here… let me wash one of them…"

Emi was about to snatch the bowl away, but Katara grasped it and held it to her stomach.

"No… I can do these by myself. I want you to sit down and rest. You'll do it if you want to know a secret about me."

Emi's eyes lit up and sparked at the word 'secret'. She nodded eagerly and sat back down at the table. Mrs. So had gone outside to feed the animals, and soon enough, Katara was done with her task. She took one of the bowls and filled it with water. She took it and placed it down on the clean table. Emi stared at it with confusion.

"Why did you bring a bowl of water?"

Katara smiled cheerfully and dipped her hand in the cool liquid.

"It's a part of my secret. But first, before I tell you, you have to tell me one of yours. Are you sick?"

The happiness in Emi's green eyes vanished and she looked away with a frown on her face. Katara nodded and understood that her assumption had been correct. After a few moments, Emi turned her head back towards Katara and sighed.

"Yes, I am sick. It's been this way since I was a little girl. It was when I was four years old. I was playing with some of the animals in the yard, and my mom left me for a minute or so. Somehow, I managed to climb up on one of the horses. My parents both say until then, I had a lot of strength in me."

Emi stayed silent for a while before she continued on.

"Once I got on, the horse became shocked and I lost balance as he moved around. To my inconvenience, I fell right on top of my head."

Katara gasped and put her hands to her heart.

"I'm so sorry to hear that… it must have been awful…"

"It was. My parents say that I was unconscious for about a week or so. It was after then that things started to happen to me. My sense of direction was altered, and I would bump into walls and other things. Every time that happened, I would become bruised, even if the impact wasn't that hard. As I grew older, and my parents needed my help, I realized that my strength was gone. It just… happened one day. Everything started to seem like the accident never left any damage behind, that is, except for my strength. I get tired very easily, and I am very frail."

Katara closed her eyes and the silence drifted through the room with a few bird calls in the distance outside of the house. Emi sighed and Katara opened her eyes again.

"So that is why I can't do any chores around here really. I wish I could though, my family needs me and all I have become is a burden. Another problem is my looks. I hate them, because every guy in town is always staring at me and sometimes I wish they wouldn't. The worst part is when a guy comes up to me and asks me if I'd like to get to know him. After I tell him about my weakness, every guy usually makes up some excuse. No one wants a cripple Katara, no one."

Tears filled her eyes and Katara put her hand on top of hers. Emi wiped away the tears on her cheeks with her other hand and then smiled weakly.

"You said you had a secret to tell me. So what is it?"

Suddenly, Katara became thrilled and she wasn't sad any longer. She was going to help her new friend.

"Well… what if I told you that I could probably help you become stronger?"

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Emi's voice became a hushed whisper and she leaned in closer to Katara.

"Is your secret…"

"My secret, Emi, is that I am a water bender. You have to promise not to tell anyone though, not even your family because it could be dangerous if someone found out."

Emi nodded her head vigorously and smiled broadly as she made a crossing motion across her heart.

"I promise Katara! Your secret is safe with me!"

Katara nodded and put her hands in the bowl of water.

"All right. I'll need you to close your eyes and open your mouth slightly."

Katara pulled her hands up and slowly waved them towards Emi's mouth. As the cool liquid dripped down her throat, Emi suddenly felt cool warmth spread through her veins; it spread through her arms, fingers and all the way down to her toes.

"You can open your eyes now."

Emi opened her eyes eagerly and saw Katara's figure a bit more sharply than before. Suddenly, she felt it. She was just a bit stronger and not as tired as before. She ran up to Katara and gave her a hug.

"You really are amazing! There's never been anyone like you who has passed through here! And your secret is safe with me! Don't worry."

Katara nodded and smiled.

"I know you feel stronger, but it won't happen overnight. We'll have to do this every morning after breakfast in order for it to really work."

"Oh, that's all right! Anything that will help me is good enough for me."

Right then Mrs. So came into the kitchen and looked at the two girls curiously.

"What have the two of you been doing here all this time?"

Emi took Katara by her arm and dragged her outside.

"We were just chatting! We will be doing some chores outside!"

In a flash, the two new friends disappeared behind the flapping curtain. Mrs. So chuckled to herself and smiled. It was nice to see her daughter so happy for once.

..:-:..

The sun was behind the gray clouds that day and a soft wind swept through the fields. Their journey to the workplace wasn't as hot as the day before, and therefore much more bearable. Suddenly, the three of them stopped and Zuko looked around with uncertainty.

"Why are we stopping? This isn't where we came yesterday."

Naoki and his father looked at Zuko with a smirk.

"Of course it is. Watch."

Mr. So took a deep breath and then punched the ground with his strong fist. The earth shifted and Zuko was gazing down at the hole he had seen before. It didn't occur to him that they could do that so easily, but then again he could fire bend without a single thought to it. They walked down the stairs and Zuko saw dimly lit torches alongside a track of metal. There were many rail carts and he was amazed at all of the mess that was left from mining and making the tunnels. From the looks of it, they went this way and that way for miles. He jumped when he heard Naoki's voice; he was still shocked at the marvel.

"What do you think then? About our worksite?"

Zuko turned towards him and smiled.

"It's really something. I haven't seen anything like it before."

Naoki's dad had already begun to earth bend the rubble into the carts. Naoki motioned for Zuko to follow him and he took a torch to light the way. Zuko smiled to himself; they still didn't know that he was a fire bender. As he thought about how the fire used to light up in his hand, a frown came to his face and he felt something missing inside of him. That night he would remind himself to go somewhere private and fire bend so that no one would see his fiery blazing arms. When they were out of earshot of his father, Naoki turned to Zuko and narrowed his eyes.

"I've got to tell you something Zuko. Denati isn't as peaceful of a town as it seems to be."

Zuko became alert and he remembered the fire nation soldiers he had seen the previous night.

"The Fire Nation has secretly been occupying our town for about a year now."

His brow furrowed and Zuko stopped walking.

"What do you mean, _secretly_?"

"No one knows about it. The Fire Nation soldiers are pretending to be Earth Kingdom royalty. I know because I've seen them do some things that they don't want anyone to know about. It's really sick and disgusting, the stuff they do to us! They collect taxes each month too, and we barely get by."

Naoki punched the wall near them causing a dent. Inside, Zuko felt a twinge of guilt because the Fire Nation was where he was born, but it didn't feel like he was a part of his people. He had been wandering around for so long, and then he had spent so much time at the North Pole with Katara. Zuko chuckled as he thought about how he had almost become executed. The adventures he shared with Katara were what made his life worth living. Naoki noticed the smile on Zuko's face and then he leapt at him furiously.

"How could you smile? Are you on their side? I can't believe it! You are!"

Naoki grabbed Zuko by the collar but he shook him away forcefully.

"No I'm not! I wasn't smiling because of what you said. I don't condone what the Fire Nation has done, or is doing."

They both regained their normal breathing rates and then Naoki looked at him curiously.

"So then why were you smiling?"

"I was smiling because I was thinking about how I met Katara."

Naoki became silent and looked away for a moment. Zuko didn't know what to make of the reaction, but suddenly Naoki turned to him and nodded with understanding.

"So how did you meet her? You're really lucky… I wish I could meet a girl like her here…"

Zuko's happiness suddenly vanished because he realized what he had just done. He couldn't just tell him that Katara was an ex-princess on the run from her deranged father. His mind shifted through every possible excuse and then he decided to tell the truth, or somewhat.

"Well… I was just wandering through the village where she lived… and I _accidentally_ walked into her room before she was going to go to bed."

Naoki's jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

"And she didn't get _mad_ at you? If I did that to some girl, she would probably kill me."

Zuko laughed and smiled with a spark in his golden eyes.

"Well I guess Katara isn't _some_ girl. She's really something to me…"

There was an uncomfortable awkward silence, and then Zuko changed the subject.

"So… should we get to work?"

"Yeah, there's a lot to do."

..:-:..

The day passed by uneventfully and the work Zuko and Katara had to endure was almost as hard as it had been the day before. Nevertheless, their spirits weren't crushed and they ate dinner happily. After the dishes were washed, this time by Zuko and Naoki, everyone gathered around a table in the back yard. Zuko had his arm around Katara's shoulder and they watched as the So siblings stood before their parents cheerfully.

"Today is a special day that we both wanted to celebrate."

"Today marks the twentieth wedding anniversary for our parents."

"Since we have visitors, it is even more appropriate to have a celebration."

Naoki walked a few steps into the house and then brought out a small box. He set it down on the table and then he lifted the top to reveal a wonderfully exquisite looking cake. Katara smiled at Emi. The two of them had secretly made it during the afternoon.

"Mom, Dad, here is our present for you."

Their parents gasped as a bunch of people came into the yard. Every one of their neighbors had been invited for the festivities and there were even a few willing musicians among the group. Mrs. So's eyes filled with joyous tears and she kissed her husband adoringly. Everyone started to bring small gifts and the dancing began. Zuko took Katara by the hand and led her to the middle of all of the couples dancing. She looked up into his eyes and smirked.

"What are you thinking about?"

Zuko leaned into her ear and hissed, making her squirm in his arms.

"How much of a fire bender you are…"

Her mouth dropped and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Zuko, you remember?"

He twirled her around and then brought her back to him.

"Of course I remember what I called you on that wonderful day…but it was more like night, huh?"

She smiled as the music slowed down and the waltz started. Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed by sorrow. Everything came flowing back to her, all of the memories, the good and the bad. Katara looked away with a frown and a single tear slid down her cheek. Zuko bit his lip and then touched her cheek, brushing away the tear. She looked back at him with a sad, brave smile. He stroked her hair and put his forehead to hers.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said that…"

"It's okay Zuko… I know the past is the past, but I miss my mother… especially after seeing how close Emi is with hers."

They looked over to the table and saw that Emi was helping her mother open some of the gifts. Zuko looked back to Katara and kissed her gently. As his lips left hers, she felt the warmth spread through her again, and she smiled whole-heartedly, the sadness disappearing. The music picked up again and this time, it was a group dance.

Emi saw Naoki slumping against the wall of their house and she sighed. Her brother didn't know how to have any fun at all. She ran up to him and then dragged him into the dance. His eyes grew large and he gaped at her.

"What are you doing? I don't know how to dance!"

She laughed at her brother and put his arms in the right place.

"Just follow along Naoki, and you'll be fine."

Everyone's feet moved in time and the couples began to spin in a box. He could hear Katara's laughter across the row of couples and he felt a sudden pain in his heart. As the dancers stayed in place, he realized that Emi had left him. The women were switching positions and to his utmost surprise, Katara was standing right in front of him.

"Naoki! I guess you'll be my new partner! I bet your much better of a dancer than Zuko is! This Earth Kingdom dance is wonderfully fun!"

He couldn't answer because in an instant her arms were on his, and she gripped the back of his shoulders. Naoki didn't have time to stumble or to think of the fact that he was dancing with her. All he did was look into her shinning blue eyes, and he smiled. They danced all around along with everyone else. Zuko hadn't expected there to be a switch of partners, and when Emi showed up in front of him, he was very surprised.

"Zuko! I hope you dance as well as you work!"

She laughed joyously and he smiled weakly. His eyes darted to try and find Katara. He had a feeling that she would be dancing with Naoki, but when he did spot her, she was changing partners once again. Even though he hadn't seen her with him, he just knew that she was his partner. Once Katara left Naoki, his arms felt heavier than before and the lift he had in his feet while he danced with her was gone. Emi appeared in front of him again and she smiled gaily. The music stopped and Naoki darted through the crowd and went to go stand back in his familiar position. Emi ran after her brother and saw him with a scowl on his face. She stood next to him quietly and then decided it was all right to speak.

"Dances aren't my thing. I wish you would have never dragged me into it."

Emi sighed and they watched as the applause diminished. All of a sudden, they saw Katara hand in hand with Zuko. They went walking away from the group and towards the forest. Naoki heard her beautiful laughter just slightly, and that was when Emi noticed the sharp pain in her brother's eyes. Everything made sense to her now. Her voice was delicate and she whispered softly.

"You like her, don't you?"

He turned on her furiously, but she kept staring at him with determination. His anger subsided and he looked away sadly.

"Yeah. I like her a lot."

Emi put a hand on her brother's shoulder and patted him comfortingly.

"I'm sorry Naoki."

He shoved her hand away and then stood up with his fists clenched.

"Why should you be sorry? She's got him, and I have no chance. I'm a fool for even caring."

With that, he stomped away from her and the rest of the party.

..:-:..

Katara giggled as Zuko twirled her around again. The moonlight shined down on them and he hummed the tune that had been played a short while ago. He stroked her hair and her face gently. They stopped moving and leaned into one another as they shared a passionate kiss. The wonderful feeling crept up through the hearts and into their throats. Katara moaned softly as Zuko walked her over to a near by tree. They pulled apart and Katara rested her head on his chest as he cradled her.

"What did I do to deserve someone like you Zuko?"

He laughed softly and she heard the rumblings inside of him. She stroked his arm but suddenly he picked her up in his arms. Katara shrieked and started to protest.

"Zuko! Put me down now! Zuko! I mean it! Stop it! Ahhh! I don't like this!"

He started to run back towards the house and the fields with lightening speed. Katara's heart beat faster than ever and she kept screaming at the top of her lungs. When they were half way towards the house, Naoki turned his head and realized that Katara was screaming for help. Then he made out Zuko's figure, and that he was carrying her and running at the same time. Anger flashed through him, and he started to run towards them, but he stopped before he could leave the perimeters of the party. Her screaming ceased, and he watched as Zuko put her down. Katara hit him on the shoulder a few times and he winced.

"I can't believe you just did that! I told you I don't like being flung around! I hate you!"

She started to march away from him, but he grabbed her arm and looked at her apologetically.

"Get away from me! I want nothing to…"

His lips crashed down onto hers and in a few seconds, her arms crept up around his neck. Naoki looked away and closed his eyes, a lump in his throat. He would have given anything to kiss her, even just once. The envy inside of his heart was growing each passing moment, but he knew that it had to stop. When he opened his eyes, he stepped back a bit. They were right in front of him.

"Naoki, are you all right? You look really pale."

Katara cocked her head to the side and he widened his eyes.

"No, I'm fine. Please, don't worry about me. Just a bit cold is all."

They passed by him and made their way over to Emi. Naoki sighed and then looked back towards the forest. His thoughts about Katara disappeared instantly as he saw the bright yellow light glow and swish through the trees. He blinked and then it was gone. Deep inside, he knew what that light was, and he knew the time had come. He looked towards the party, and then quietly ran to the darkness and the secrets of the night.

* * *

**A/N:** Was this chapter better? I hope it was… I know I keep leaving you hanging, but in… oh two or three chapters, everything will be revealed :) Thanks so much for all of your support! It really keeps me writing! Well then, I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope you have a wonderful day! 

-Monika-


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The birds chirped outside and Katara stirred fitfully. Images flashed through her head of Aang and the girl he had met. They were trapped and everything was engulfed in darkness. It was a horrifying sight to endure and the awful feeling in her gut wouldn't go away. Suddenly she heard a yell and the last thing she saw were Aang's worried and fearful eyes.

"Katara, wake up."

She opened her eyes at once and hugged Zuko fiercely. He held her and cradled her gently.

"Oh, I had the worst dream. Zuko, I think Aang is in trouble. We have to go back!""

She closed her eyes again and then heard his reassuring voice.

"It was only a dream. Besides, Toph can always help him with her earth bending."

The darkness came again and she saw Aang's cheerful face. Katara sighed and stood up on her own.

"I guess you are right."

She stretched herself out and then looked at Zuko curiously. He yawned and then closed his eyes.

"Are you tried?"

With great effort he stood up and rubbed at his eyes.

"Of course not. I've never been tried."

She kissed him lightly and he opened his eyes with a smile.

"All right then. Let's go get some breakfast."

When they reached the kitchen, everyone was rushing around trying to get the food ready. Zuko sat down at the table and rested his cheek on his hand. Katara noticed that Emi looked much better than she had the previous morning. She took her aside and smiled.

"Katara, I feel wonderful. But you should see my parents. They are exhausted. That surprise party must have done a number on them!"

The two girls giggled together as Naoki walked into the room. For a moment he froze, observing the way Katara's hand drifted up to her face diffidently. Her laughter calmed his senses and then when it stopped, he awoke from the trance and snapped back into reality. Zuko sat at the table yawning as the food was set in front of him. In a few minutes, everyone was gathered around. Mr. So cleared his throat and smiled at his family and friends.

"Good morning everyone. On behalf of my wife and I, we thank you for the splendid surprise last night. It was very unsuspecting and pleasant."

The four youths bowed their heads and began to eat. Zuko ate gradually as Emi laughed slightly and elbowed Zuko with a nudge.

"Seems like my parents aren't the only ones that are bushed. You must have had a fun night."

Zuko turned to her and gave her his best smile. Katara shifted awkwardly. Just then she had realized how beautiful Emi really was. Her grace and presence had such a simple yet perfect manner. Her eyes glowed a brilliant green that made her hair shine as it fell down to her shoulders. Zuko looked away and so did Emi. She looked excitedly in another direction and the fleeting moment of jealously passed. Zuko smiled at Katara but not as lively as before. He was truly exhausted which seemed curious to her. Mrs. So observed this change in Zuko and cleared her throat to speak.

"I think I would like it if Zuko worked inside the house today with Emi. Would you mind if you brought Katara along with you today?"

The question was directed at her husband but Naoki sat there gaping at his mother.

"Sure thing Elana. I'm sure Katara will be just as hard working as Zuko."

Katara nodded and smiled at Naoki. His head spun but he knew that he must focus on keeping his thoughts off of their beautiful guest. In a flurried rush, everyone got up and started to clear the table. When everyone had left except for Zuko and Emi, she got a bowl of water ready and she went to her healing work. Zuko watched as Emi's expression drifted from a normal state of mind to that in which she seemed to float on air. Once the liquid was swallowed Emi fluttered her eyelids open and she sighed happily.

"How do you feel?"

"That was even better than before!"

Mr. So came into the kitchen and looked at the trio curiously.

"What was better than before?"

They looked at one another with caution and then Zuko's voice broke the silence.

"I was telling a joke and she said it was better than the previous one."

"Ah… so what was the joke?"

Zuko thought of the first thing that came to his mind.

"Why did a roosterhen cross the road?"

Their father laughed slightly and shook his head.

"I've heard that one before. Katara, could you come with me? We've got a lot of work to catch up on today."

She nodded and left Zuko with a kiss on the cheek. Mrs. So came inside after they two exited and she looked around with a sigh.

"There's a lot of cleaning up to do today. Zuko can you go clean the back yard? Emi, you can tidy around in here…"

Zuko left the house and shielded his eyes with his hand. The sun was burning especially hot that morning and his hands felt the hot steam rise inside of his body. It had been such a long time since he had fire bended. He wasn't sure he could do it anywhere near here though. His gaze turned towards the mess on the grass and the plates, which were being carried around the yard by the soft wind. Zuko sighed and got to work.

..:-:..

Naoki was waiting for them to come and when Katara smiled, he nodded and smiled back. From now on, he was going to start acting like a normal person around her. There was going to be no more fidgeting and gawking. He was just going to have to get used to being in her presence.

"Naoki, why don't you go get some more things from the woods with Katara's help? You know where to find me."

He nodded and Katara watched as they took different paths. The forest was filled with dense foliage and it looked almost tropical. The leaves fluttered in the wind and the branches seemed to intertwine together as if it was all one tree. Naoki beckoned her in through the tangles and she followed, wincing each time that a branch slipped across her delicate skin. She wasn't used to acting like a savage.

"Why are we going in here? It seems so unnecessary to be surrounded by so much…earth…"

Naoki suddenly laughed at her statement and held his side. It was the first time Katara had seen him laugh and she saw all of the lines in his face. His teeth weren't perfectly straight but they were all right. When he saw her observing him, Naoki stopped and closed his mouth. She cocked an eyebrow towards him and crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry Katara for laughing… it's just…"

"That's right! You should be sorry! That wasn't nice… I was just making a comment…"

His lips curved into a smile and he put his head to the side.

"Right. A comment, which made no sense at all."

She was about to open her mouth and respond when he put a finger to his lips.

"Watch this."

He looked away towards a small flat clearing of grass inside of the forest. His arms pushed towards it and then upwards. The hidden force drove the land upwards and Katara stepped back in shock. Out of the ground was a large hole and it was perfect and clean. There were no ridge or branches sticking out. She stepped closer towards it and examined the marvel.

"Wow… how did you do that?"

"Well we have a hidden route of tunnels right? This is the transportation system. We pile a bunch of fallen earth and leaves and anything that has to do with nature."

He demonstrated by taking a bunch of fallen branches and putting them in the hole.

"Now I put the ground back as it should be and then I send it away towards the main sector where it then gets transported to one of the many tunnels, one of which my father is in."

She watched in awe as he pounded the ground back into place. It seemed as if nothing had changed and that the ground was always whole as it should be. Suddenly, she felt a low rumbling underneath her feet. Katara swayed and had to grab onto Naoki's arm. He looked at her for a moment but then dismissed his thoughts. If he was anything, Naoki was definitely a man who kept to his promises, no matter how hard they were to keep. In a few seconds the rumbling passed them and Katara let go of him. She smiled brightly and jumped up and down.

"Naoki, that was so amazing! I would have never thought to do that! Can we try another one?"

He nodded and laughed shortly at her enthusiasm. That's what he loved, that she was eager to join into the work. It showed how much she was willing to be helpful.

"All right. Let's go a bit further in. Oh yeah, there's one up ahead."

There was a faint path in the ground but Katara had to look twice to see it. The earth benders had made sure that only they could find the path. Naoki stopped and touched a tree. He closed his eyes and Katara watched on with intrigue. She had only been around water benders her entire life. When she met Zuko, she was instantly drawn to him, well it took a while but eventually she got hooked. Now that Naoki was demonstrating the art of earth bending, she was absolutely amazed.

"Look's like we've come to another."

He did the same movement as before and the ground shook as a circle shaped piece of land rose into the air. Katara saw another hole and smiled widely. She ran away to find anything of importance that seemed to be lying around for no reason at all. The hole was filled up faster than the first time, and within minutes the ground was stirring again underneath their feet. This time Katara held onto a tree and she felt the vibrations run through her fingers and into her heart. She felt more alive and in tune with nature than she had ever felt before.

"This is marvelous Naoki. Did you do this with Zuko yesterday? He'd love this kind of thing! Did you know that he has traveled all around the world?"

Naoki's smile turned a bit bitter but he held it on his lips.

"That's interesting… so then he would probably think this isn't much of anything."

"Oh no! Don't say that Naoki! This system is quite remarkable!"

The sun filtered through the tops of the trees and they walked on, the process repeating itself each time. Suddenly as they walked farther into the forest than they should have, Naoki felt vibrations in the ground up ahead. He stopped Katara and she silenced her laugh when she saw the serious expression on his face. She saw him put his fingers to his lips and then he motioned for her to follow him. They crept along the huge masses of foliage and they were barely able to peek their eyes out to the people moving along in the brush and trees in front of them. A few yards away, maybe ten, there was a small group of soldiers in fire nation uniforms. Katara almost gasped but Naoki put his hand over her mouth to silence her. If it wasn't for the perilous state they were in, he would have been thrilled to be so close to her, but his mind was on the men in front of him. He let go and then continued to survey them.

There was a machine of some kind and it was grotesque. Everywhere they looked, some kind of sharp steel stuck out of it, razor sharp jaws on some parts of the apparatus. Katara's head was buzzing and she was shocked that the soldiers didn't hear her heart beating. It was pounding in her chest and it was mostly because of the shock. She had never realized how cruel some people could be. All she had known about was the people in the North Pole. There were no torture devices such as the machine she was staring at. Naoki seemed to be concentrating especially on it, as if he was memorizing every little detail of it. The soldiers were rolling their eyes and then they saw that one of them had a mask on. Katara didn't know what that meant, but Naoki did and he rose his eyebrows and motioned her to go back the way they came. Katara began to tip toe away, but then Naoki stopped. Someone had come and all of the soldiers scurried into formation.

It was a woman and her hair was tied back except for two small strands that fell around her face. Her eyes were a terrifying amber color and it seemed as if she held the gaze of the underbrush where Naoki was hiding. But she turned away and walked over to the machine. Naoki narrowed his eyes and watched the men, all of them acting subservient to the woman. She was definitely someone worth remembering. Suddenly, he heard a small rustling to his right and his head turned immediately towards Katara. She was trying to get his attention without really calling any to her. Thankfully the men near the machine hadn't noticed and Naoki crept towards her stealthily. They kept walking away in a stiff silence. Tension wrung the air in between the two of them and it wasn't until Naoki had found a familiar spot that he stopped and took a deep intake of air.

"We're safe now. The forest ends in a little bit and we'll be by my house."

Katara sighed with relief and stretched her arms out to the air.

"Thank goodness! I was really scared for a while… there was no water and…"

He looked at her with confusion and her mouth dropped open, but she didn't say anything. Katara realized her mistake a bit too late.

"Why would that matter?"

"Oh I don't know… maybe we could have … drown them?"

The tension gone, Naoki smiled and laughed with her. They started to make their way back towards the house when suddenly Naoki heard a yell behind him. He turned around on his heel and his eyes widened when he saw that Katara was being pulled into one of the trees. The vines entangled her wrists and ankles. One of them slithered around her neck and its grip tightened with each second, leaving her face to turn into a slightly flustered color.

"Katara!"

He ran to her and she struggled to free herself of the binding that wound around her body. She tried to take a deep breath as she craned her neck upwards. Naoki pushed and pulled his arms with concentration. He was trying to pull the vines away from her, away from the trees, but nothing was working.

"My bending isn't working!"

Naoki growled and his heart grew worried. The vines were wrapping around her even more and then he heard her desperate whisper.

"Get Zuko… now!"

He saw the assurance in her eyes and even though it pained him that he couldn't be the one to help her, he knew that his pride had to take a step back. Naoki ran from the forest and he burst into the fields, sunlight all around him. The grass rustled in the wind and his clothes flapped together as he ran with all of his strength towards the house.

Zuko had just finished cleaning and tending to the animals with Emi. He looked up to the forest and saw a speck running towards them. After a few seconds, he saw that it was Naoki.

"Emi, why is your brother running?"

"I don't know… maybe something happened!"

Her voice was full of worry and they exchanged nervous glances. That was when Zuko realized that Katara wasn't with Emi's brother.

"Zuko! It's Katara! She needs you!"

The shout was barely audible but Zuko heard it even from the great distance, which Naoki still had to run. Zuko immediately dropped the bucket he was holding and he darted towards the forest in the direction Naoki had come from. He ran without stopping, without thinking, only knowing that he had to get to her fast. Naoki started to slow down, pain searing through his side. He blinked his eyes and saw that Emi was following Zuko at a much slower paced run. Zuko passed by him with amazing speed and then as Emi started to reach him, she tripped and fell, a loud yell erupting from her throat. Naoki looked from the forest to his sister and then growled angrily. Katara had Zuko, and he had to tend to his weak sister.

Zuko thrashed his way through the green scenery and he didn't care if all of it slashed his face or his arms. Katara was in trouble and he had to save her. Suddenly he saw her tied to the try, her face beet red. She was suffocating and time was of the essence. He ran up to her and she looked at him desperately, her eyelids fluttering, her strength decreasingly rapidly. Zuko looked at the vines and knew what he had to do at once. With utter happiness, he reached out his palms and with a deep breath, two identical flames erupted in his hands. He stepped closer towards Katara and the sparks hissed at the vines. The bright light and the overpowering heat drove the vines away. Katara fell to the ground on her knees and as soon as Zuko let his fire extinguish, the vines were starting to creep back towards them. Zuko pulled Katara up and he carried her in his arms as he started to walk away from the tree. Suddenly he stopped in his place as Katara took deep breaths of air.

Naoki and Emi stood there gaping at them. Katara turned her head towards their new friends and her eyes widened fearfully. Naoki was looking at her with instant hatred and even more pure disgust towards Zuko. He grabbed Emi, who was now standing fine on her own, and held his sister close to him. Zuko put Katara down and she took a step towards them, her eyes pleading.

"Don't come any closer!"

Katara stopped and hung her head. When she looked up at him again, her eyes were blurry and for a second his hatred left his heart, but then he remembered that she had tricked him by keeping Zuko's identity a secret. Somewhere inside of his mind he even thought that Zuko was involved with the group of soldiers they had spotted.

"Please Naoki, listen to me, listen to us. We're sorry we didn't tell you, but we knew you'd react the way you are now."

Emi stirred and realized that her friends weren't going to hurt them. Katara had, after all, started to heal her. How could someone like that be plotting to turn on them in the end? She pushed away from her brother and stood on her own. Zuko stood next to Katara and he looked at the two So siblings with regret.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I was a fire bender. We were going to eventually, but we didn't want the two of you to judge us."

Naoki's head was spinning and an awful conclusion came to his mind.

"Wait, are you a fire bender too Katara?"

This time, it was Emi who answered. She stepped in between Katara and Naoki, looking at her brother definitely.

"No she's not. She's a water bender and I'm not going to let you do anything to my friends."

Naoki's mouth dropped and he didn't know what to do. Katara was a water bender, that he hadn't expected, but for his sister to know and to be defending them was another situation in itself. From the look on his sister's face, he knew that the battle was lost. Something tugged at his conscience and he knew that Katara and Zuko weren't going to hurt them, even thought they hadn't spoken the truth.

"All right. Nothing will happen, as long as you come with me and you tell me the whole truth."

They nodded their heads and followed Naoki out of the forest. The sun was beginning to fall in the blue sky above them and it had only seemed like few moments ago they had been eating breakfast. The four friends walked half way towards the house without stopping or talking to one another. It seemed as if there was tension in between them, distrust hung around their heads like an invisible mist shining through Naoki's eyes. He stopped at a rock and sat on it.

"You can tell me everything now, and I mean _everything._"

Zuko and Katara looked at each for assurance and then Katara took a deep breath.

"And you promise that this is between the four of us. No one else will know?"

Naoki nodded and she closed her eyes.

"Well basically I'm an ex-princess from the North Pole on the run. I secretly water bend. It's not allowed back at my home. Zuko is from the Fire Nation but he was banished and sent to roam the world. We don't want to harm anyone. Recently we were traveling with the avatar."

Emi's eyes widened and Naoki sat gaping at her, too much shock in his body made him immobile. Zuko nudged Katara and she realized that she shouldn't have said the last part about Aang. She laughed shortly as Zuko put his arm around her waist.

"Oh, forgive us. We failed to mention that the Avatar is back again. Surprised?"

Emi sat down next to her brother and they sat there in shock. They stepped towards their friends and smiled.

"So you're telling the truth?" Naoki was barely able to manage his question.

Zuko nodded. "Yes. Every word is true and not a lie. We split up with the Avatar so he could learn earth bending with a girl his own age."

Naoki put a hand to his head and shook it in awe.

"That's just so very unexpected. I could teach him though… I don't see how a hundred year old teacher is any good."

Zuko and Katara exchanged smiles and Emi cocked her eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"Well you see…" Zuko finished Katara's statement, "Aang is only twelve years old."

Emi and Naoki looked at each with even more confusion than before.

"It's all right. We didn't believe it either. I guess we will just have to go find someone else to help us then Zuko."

He nodded and they started to walk away.

"You're right. They obviously don't want our help in trade for theirs."

Naoki stood up and called after them. Even though their story was completely ridiculous, it seemed like they would be honest at that point.

"Wait. We believe you."

Zuko and Katara turned around and smiled. Emi touched her brother's shoulder gently and she looked at him with bright eyes.

"Guess what Naoki? Katara is going to heal me with her water bending!"

Naoki looked at Katara and when she heard Emi's words, Katara waved her hand modestly and smiled.

"It's nothing I keep telling you! I want to help in any way I can!"

Suddenly Naoki felt strong vibrations in the earth and they came from deep within the forest. He glanced to the trees at the corner of his eyes and his smile faded.

"I think we should get back to the house. And I think we should do something about your clothes Katara."

She looked taken aback but with a serious glance from Naoki she knew what he meant. There was a threat inside the forest and she couldn't be spotted as a person from the water tribe, even worse a princess from the North Pole.

"All right. Let's go back."

The sun was setting and with it was the new knowledge inside of Katara. She would tell Zuko as soon as she was alone with him. Whatever they were doing in the forest, it didn't seem like a good thing. Denati was far from the peaceful little Earth Kingdom town that they wished it was.

..:-:..

Aang laughed freely as the wind carried him above the houses of his village. Toph growled angrily as he came back to her mansion and landed quietly.

"Twinkle-toes! What did I say about flying off in the middle of practice? It's getting annoying!"

She pouted and crossed her hands looking away. Aang grinned even though she couldn't see him do it. He loved getting her riled up; it was easy and entertaining to watch. The one thing he didn't like was his nickname.

"Don't call me that… Blind Bandit!"

Her eyes widened and she stepped on the ground forcefully. It shook around him and before Aang could get away, the ground grew all around him. Toph smirked and put her arms down.

"Don't say that out loud! You know my parents have no idea…"

She stood still and alert. Aang felt the ground fall back to its original place and she put her finger to her lips.

"There's something coming."

They looked around and that was when Aang saw it. There was a large cloud of dust heading through the town. It kept closing in on the mansion and when Aang flew away, he heard Toph's frustrated growls. The Avatar came closer to the dust cloud and then it stopped. Aang swept down to the ground and pushed his staff in the direction of the cloud. The dust disappeared instantly and there was a man clothed in blue riding some kind of gray animal he hadn't seen before. It had large tusks and whiskers the length of a whip. The man got down from his ride and walked up to the boy with a superior tone in his walk.

"Hi! Are you visiting here?"

Aang's cheerful approach hadn't worked and the man didn't smile.

"Have you seen anyone dressed like me?"

He squinted and observed the man's blue robes. Suddenly the recognition dawned on him.

"Yeah! I saw my friend Katara in blue clothes too! Why do you want to know?"

The man's eyes widened and he stepped closer to the Avatar, his tone demanding and low.

"Where did she go?"

Aang pointed behind him and smiled.

"She went to Denati with someone else…"

"A man?"

Aang nodded and watched as the man ran up to his animal. He kicked the side of the animal and sped away, another dust cloud forming behind their trail. Toph had finally managed to find Aang and she seemed angry.

"What did I miss?"

"Oh not much. Some guy wanted to know where my friends were."

Toph cocked her eyebrow and laughed shortly.

"Let me guess, you told him?"

Aang wasn't sure he understood why telling a stranger where your friends were was wrong. Then it hit him and he slapped his forehead.

"Oh no! I just remembered that Katara had a brother they were running away from! I can't believe I told him where they were!"

Aang hung his head, but Toph's hand went up to his shoulder.

"It's okay. I'm sure they will be able to handle themselves. Besides, it's only one person right?"

Aang nodded slightly and grunted. They headed back towards the mansion and Aang hoped with all of his heart that his friends would be all right.

..:-:..

That night, Katara wasn't able to fall asleep. Visions of her home in the North filled her thoughts. Cascading water falls, the snow so crisp and bright underneath her feet. Then she dreamed of her mother, Shira. For some reason, expelling her secret brought back old memories of her home and how happy she had been with her mother. So much had happened since she was little. Yue was dead, but not really. Sokka hated her guts more than it was possible, and she had betrayed her father's trust. A tear slipped down her cheek and she whimpered in her sleep.

"Mother…"

Zuko stirred when he heard her soft whisper calling out desperately to no one. He pulled her closer to him and sighed. The past was never truly buried in the past.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow! That was longer than I expected! I hope you liked it and I think you'll be less confused now lol xD there is still the question of Naoki… he's mysterious huh? Lol :) Anyways, I just realized that Zuko barely talked in this chapter! I'll be sure to add him in more next time! Thanks so much for reading! Have a wonderful day!

-Monika-


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The morning came as usual and everyone sat around the table cheerfully. As soon as everyone was done with their food, and the kitchen was cleared up, Mrs. So came in with two bundles of deep green clothing. She handed a bundle to each Katara and Zuko and they looked at her with a questioning smile.

"Thank you so much for these gifts, but may we ask what they are for?"

They unfolded the robes and realized they were almost the exact same as Emi's and Naoki's clothing. Naoki came up to them and put a hand on his mother's shoulder.

"Remember how I said we should do something about your clothes? The two of you stand out because you look like refugees. If you wear something that resembles our town's attire, then you will blend in with everyone else."

Emi sat down near them and eyed Katara, who hadn't worn anything except for something blue for her entire life.

"I hope you don't mind that those robes are extras. Go and try them on."

Zuko and Katara shrugged their shoulders and they each took turns changing into their new outfits. The two of them came out of their room and Katara twirled around, displaying her newest fashion. The green stood out brightly with her blue eyes and Zuko looked like a true citizen of the Earth Kingdom. Emi giggled and leapt up to hug Katara, who now looked like her sister instead of a visitor. Zuko bowed his head to Naoki and nodded.

"Thank you very much for your help. We will do whatever we can to help out around the farm."

Mr. So walked in and didn't notice that he was talking to Katara instead of Emi.

"Dear, will you go help your mother? She went out back and some of the roosterhen's have gotten away."

Katara turned around and smiled. He stood back a bit and his eyes widened.

"Oh I'm so sorry. I thought you were my daughter, please forgive me! I didn't think that you would look so much alike in our traditional green robes."

"That's perfectly understandable! Do you want me to help you Emi?"

She shook her head and started to walk outside.

"No, it's all right. I've done this before."

She left them with a smile and Mr. So turned to the three remaining in the kitchen.

"So, today's tasks are as follows. The three of you will go out into the fields and look for any signs of wildlife out in the open. If there are random holes in the ground, a rabbit must be near by. Katara, Emi will need your help out in the gardens later on. Then Naoki and Zuko can go into the woods and do the usual tasks."

They each bowed respectively and headed out into the bright sunshine. As their feet swept through the prickling grass, Katara giggled and Zuko rolled his eyes playfully. Naoki was very interested to know why she was laughing so much.

"Is there something funny Katara?"

She turned to him and sighed.

"No Naoki, everything is absolutely wonderful! I don't think I ever felt this happy in my whole life!"

She forgot about the sorrowful feelings that occupied her heart the night before. After sleeping on her drowsy thoughts, they fled from her mind and a new day had begun. The soft puffy clouds drifted slowly in the sky, and it seemed like the perfect day. Katara had even forgotten about the incident in the forest the other day and she had forgotten to mention it to Zuko as well.

"It just seems like you have never been out in the open before, with the grass and the birds and all."

She stopped in her tracks and looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. The information about her being an ex-princess must have not settled inside of him yet. Zuko eyed Naoki carefully, not wanting to assume that Katara was safe from Naoki's thoughts. Somewhere deep down inside, he was afraid that Katara might get too close with the scruffy man, equal to him by the amount of work he has endured, and the skills that he possessed. The one thing that worried him however, was that Katara seemed to be more interested in Naoki's life than she was with Zuko. He was afraid that she would soon lose interest in him. Back in the North, he was something exciting and different, now the same applied to Naoki.

"Of course I haven't, remember," she leaned in closer and whispered, "I lived in the North Pole. That's why I need this disguise."

Naoki smiled and laughed. She smiled back and suddenly Zuko stood next to her. They looked up at him and he stood his ground firmly.

"That's why we both need the disguises. We didn't tell you that Katara had saved me from execution while I visited the North Pole," he looked down at her with a soft smile, "I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her."

Katara stepped away from Naoki and nodded, remembering how frantic she was about almost seeing Zuko dead. She wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his chest. Zuko glanced at Naoki attentively and Naoki's smile disappeared. He looked away and shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. Katara leaned her head up to Zuko and let the warmth of the sun spread through her.

"I'll never forget it. You were so brave Zuko, and I'm so glad that I saved you, because now I can do this…"

Her lips were soft and wet on his dry ones and he pulled her into him a bit more. They pulled a part when they heard Naoki cough and Katara smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry Naoki, we won't get off task again! Where were we now? Weren't we looking for unexpected holes in the ground?"

He nodded and the three of them covered an area of about an acre. Katara wiped the sweat of her forehead, and she whipped her braid to her back. The three of them met up after an hour of enduring the scorching sun. Naoki sighed.

"No holes. It looks like the animals have been driven away for some reason."

Naoki usually found a group of holes made by the rabbits, and he found it strange that they suddenly disappeared. His thoughts flashed to the machine he had seen the day before with Katara. Naoki licked his lips and looked around urgently.

"You know what's strange? The fact that there hasn't been any rain since we arrived here, right Zuko?"

She turned to him and he nodded, thinking about the past few days of their stay.

"It's awkward, but maybe it is just a dry spell? The grass seems to be in need of some water though… look at it."

He bent down and swiped his hand across it, the blades stiff and dull underneath his fingertips. Naoki quickly glanced down at him and brushed Zuko's qualm away. Something else was bothering him, and he needed to get away from the two of them.

"Uh, Katara? Why don't you head back and go to the gardens? I'm sure they need your help more there than Zuko and I do."

"Okay. I'll see you later Zuko."

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and she started to walk back towards the house. Zuko followed Naoki towards the wood and wondered what they would be doing. Once inside of the dense entanglement of trees, he looked around in awe. The nature around Denati was breathtaking, nothing like he had seen before. The trees rose high up towards the sky and they seemed to tower over him like a grand palace.

"So what are we going to do?"

Zuko hadn't been with Katara the day before when Naoki showed her how everything worked. Naoki looked around hesitantly, not sure if he should lie. That was when he thought of a way to tell him half of the truth.

"Basically we split up and gather anything on the ground that seems like it doesn't belong; a fallen branch, a pulled weed, a misplaced vine. Then take it to the edge of the forest and make a pile. At the end of the day, other people from the ground tunnels will take it away."

Naoki started off towards his left, moving vines and branches out of his way. Zuko stared back at him dumbfounded and sighed. If he was going to work, he had better start right away.

..:-:..

The walls of the circular room were covered in dimly lit torches. They glowed softly and reflected their orange light onto the faces of the young men gathered inside. The floor emitted the revitalizing scent of earth as the soft grass grew wildly. Blocks of earth dotted the room and in the center was a podium with a tall chair. A young man, most likely nineteen years of age, with scruffy black hair and a raggedy robe sat in the chair with his body leaned to the right. Silence waved around each man as they sat in deep thought. Suddenly the walls shook and a perfect circle etched itself inside of the wall to the man's left. He turned his head slowly and sighed, straightening up.

Naoki walked out of the hole and pulled his arms towards him. The wall shook again and the hole disappeared, the wall appearing to be smooth and untouched. He put his hands together and bowed, as did the rest of the men in the room. Naoki approached the main podium in the middle of the dimly lit room and he felt the soft earth underneath his feet with each step he took. He sat down on his knees and waited for the chief to speak.

"Naoki, you didn't make it to yesterday's meeting."

"Yes, I am aware and I apologize for my absence."

The man in the chair shifted and leaned forward a bit. He sighed and spoke with a deep, yet soft voice.

"You are forgiven. Would you like to explain yourself?"

Naoki looked down at the ground ashamed and shook his head.

"No, there is no excuse for my absence. I have come with urgent information to report."

The man leaned back alert, his eyebrows raised.

"Do tell us."

Naoki stood up and cleared his throat.

"I was absent yesterday because of a sighting that I witnessed. A group of soldiers belonging to the Fire Nation guarded a machine so great that I have never witnessed such before."

Everyone leaned in closer and looked around with shock. This had been unexpected news. They looked to their chief and he put his fingers on his chin, his eyes narrowed and contemplative.

"This is very intriguing Naoki… please continue…"

..:-:..

Zuko had finished his work and it had taken a few hours, but at least he hadn't been in the sun so long. He looked around and didn't see anyone else nearby, so he stepped back into an open clearing and took his hands together. He moved his arms swiftly in an arc, a stream of fire sparkling in front of his eyes. The heat swept through the air and to his face, causing beads of sweat to spill down his forehead. A smile crept onto his lips and then he put his arms down. He felt the fire unleash itself from within his core and out into the electrifying air. It seemed as if he was as alive as a newborn baby, and until that moment, he was sheltered from his true self. Zuko was a fire bender, and it was the best feeling in the world.

With a satisfied leap in his step, Zuko walked back towards the house. He peered up to the sky and cocked an eyebrow.

"So it looks like storm clouds. I wonder if it will actually rain…"

After a few minutes, he made it to the garden behind the So household and he saw a figure in a deep forest green poke out of the numerous plants. He walked up to her quietly and smiled. Zuko wrapped his arms around her waist and then jerked back as she shrieked. Zuko's eyes shot open and then he saw a head pop up a bit further into the garden. Her blue eyes stared at him with surprise and then with irritation. Emi snapped around to face Zuko and she narrowed her eyes.

"Zuko! Why did you scare me like that?"

She was furious, but her beauty calmed her down. Her eyes couldn't be fierce, only gentle and sparkling. Emi put her hands on her hips and pouted.

"I thought someone was kidnapping me!"

Katara walked up to them and hit Zuko on the back of his head. His eyes popped out and he hunched his shoulders. He turned to Katara and opened his mouth as if he was letting the air sweep inside of him like a river into a dam. Then he let his rage out.

"Did you just _hit_ me on the head? All I did was hug Emi because I thought she was _you, _and what do you go and do? You hit me… _on the head?_"

Katara backed away in terror. She had never seen him so angry, so violent before. Emi whimpered and shrunk into the plants and herbs around her. Zuko stepped towards her and steam flared out of his nostrils.

"Zuko, I'm sorry… it was just an impulse! I didn't do it _that_ hard anyways…"

She had gotten her vigor inside of her again, and she stood straight with her arms crossed. Her braid hung in front of her shoulder and as Zuko stepped in front of her, he pulled on it, causing her to wince and fall into his arms. She looked up, and shockingly found a smirk on his face.

"I missed you."

Katara's eyes lit up with fury and her jaw dropped. She pushed him away and huffed angrily.

"So the first thing you do is verbally assault me and pull my braid?"

He stepped up behind her and whispered into her ear.

"Just showing you the affection that you showed me."

She turned around as his arms wrapped around her and her furious expression melted as his golden eyes bore into her gaze. Katara let the distance fade away as she kissed his lips softly. It felt amazing to be at his side after a long day of work. Emi sighed as she walked through the garden over to where they were standing.

"The two of you just never know when to quit it, do you?"

Katara laughed as she rested her head on Zuko's chest.

"I'm sorry for scaring you Emi."

She waved her hand away and put on a brave face.

"It's all right. I'm not a fragile little girl… thanks to you Katara."

She pulled away and nodded her head to Emi. Ever since they had started the healing process a few days ago, Emi had been recovering rapidly. Her strength was coming back in leaps and bounds, and it was all thanks to Katara. Zuko looked around curiously and narrowed his gaze.

"Emi, have you seen Naoki anywhere lately?"

"No," she shook her head, "he hasn't come back yet."

Katara's jaw dropped and confusion swept through her thoughts.

"Isn't he with you? Yesterday, he and I worked together."

Zuko turned to her, very curious as to the news he was hearing from her.

"He told me that it would be better if we separated."

Katara shrugged and let it slide by.

"I guess it's because you are stronger than Katara and that way the two of you would get more done," Emi said cheerfully.

It still seemed odd to Zuko that Naoki chose to work together with Katara and not him. Emi's words were wise and most likely right, but he still didn't trust Naoki fully. Loud rumbling filled the sky in the distance and the three of them looked at one another hopefully.

"It _sounds_ like a storm."

"It _looks_ like a storm."

"It_ feels_ like a storm."

And then at once the three of them spoke in unison.

"It's going to rain."

They smiled and headed inside of the house as the impending weather rolled towards them slowly. An hour or so passed before Mr. So made it home. The skies were growing darker by the minute and Naoki wasn't home yet. His parents whispered intently together in a corner and Emi sat near the table with Zuko and Katara. No one said much and then when the rain started to pour down on the roof, they flinched. It sounded like bombs were attacking them each second, and the tension built up inside them all. Finally, after what seemed like another hour had gone by, someone straggled inside of the house.

Emi rushed to his side and Naoki put his arm around her shoulder. He limped to the table and sat down, fully exhausted. Katara's jaw dropped when she saw what had happened to him. He was drenched from the rain, his hair matted wildly around his head, and wet dirt covered his face and hands. A dry stream of brown blood streaked down from his lips to his chin, and then she realized that he was wincing with every breath that he took. Emi's eyes were filled with tears and she looked to Katara for help. Mr. and Mrs. So were in their room, and didn't know that their son had finally arrived back home.

"Zuko, go get a bowl of water!" Emi said urgently.

Katara moved closer to him and he took a sharp intake of air as she lifted her hand off of his arm. He growled softly and looked away shamefully. He didn't want to appear weak, but he was. Emi held in her sobs as Zuko set the bowl down on the table. Naoki finally turned to Katara and looked her in the eye sadly.

"My arms are bruised. Could you heal them before… my parents…"

She nodded her head hurriedly and began to pull up the sleeves of his robes. Deep purple bruises spotted his forearms and as the cool liquid spilled down his arms, Naoki closed his eyes and reveled in the refreshing presence of Katara's water bending. At once the pain subsided and he looked at her with a small smile.

"Thank you."

Emi took a rag and dipped it into the bowl. She wiped his face delicately and he took the rag from her hands. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"What happened Naoki? Are you all right?"

His sister's eyes glazed, but no tears spilled down her pretty cheeks any longer. Her voice was soft and she looked away. He saw the worry in her expression and he sighed, taking her hand in his.

"It was nothing really. I got lost in the forest and then tried to get out, but my earth bending back fired on me and hit me instead. That's why it took me so long to get back home."

Emi turned back towards him and smiled enthusiastically.

"So that is it? Nothing else happened?"

"Nope."

He looked down at his hands and flashes of the fire nation soldiers swept through his mind. Naoki closed his eyes and shut everything out. For now, his secret would be held inside of him; Emi wouldn't know what had really happened, and neither would his parents.

"We were all very worried about you Naoki."

Katara's voice was bright and she smiled at him. The two girls sat on either side of him, and Zuko watched with irritation. The more he saw Katara with him, the more impatient he grew. They had traveled with Aang for so long, and just when they were able to spend time together, they received the help of the So family. Even though he didn't want to admit it, the situation was in Naoki's favor.

"Even you?"

"Of course I was worried! You could have been very hurt!"

Suddenly, the two parents walked into the room and Mrs. So hugged her son fiercely. Her embrace was sudden and overwhelming; Naoki's face turned pale and when she let go, he took a deep breath of air.

"Oh son! We were full of worry! What happened to you?"

He repeated the same story as before and his father shook his head.

"I thought that having Zuko with you would prevent something like this, but I suppose I was wrong…"

Zuko couldn't take it anymore. He ran outside of the house angrily and Katara turned her head abruptly. She dropped the rag into the bowl of water and Naoki's smile vanished as she chased after Zuko. The rain had stopped pounding down to the ground; only a light drizzle sprayed itself onto her face. Katara spotted Zuko walking towards the road and she caught up to him.

"Zuko, what was all of that about?"

He stared away from her face, into the foggy distance. His voice was icy and desperate.

"I'm sick of everything Katara."

She stood frozen and her mouth hung agape. This was unexpected.

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_," he said turning his gaze on her, "that I can't take watching you and him anymore. It's eating me up inside, and apparently, I'm no good to his parents either!"

His voice rose and Katara's eyes softened as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you think that I _like_ him…"

"Of course I think that! Ever since we've come here, you've been so _fascinated_ with him! It's like you don't care about me anymore like you used to… admit it, you think I'm boring! And now you've found someone else to entertain you…"

He stepped away from her and she watched him walk towards the road. The drizzling rain spilled down his face in rivers and she couldn't tell if it was the rain, or tears that fell from his eyes. She stepped in front of him and looked at him in the eye.

"Zuko… I have _never _thought you were boring, not before and not now either. Sure, Naoki is an interesting person that we've met, but that doesn't mean that I think you are second rate. I'm sorry if it seems like I don't care… I do Zuko, very much. We've been through so much together, and no one could ever replace those memories."

She closed the gap and he pulled her in close as their lips met. The soft thunder boomed above them, somewhere off in the distance. The rain seeped into their hair and ran down their faces as they kissed. It felt so right to have her in his arms at that moment; the cool breeze blew across their skin, shivers flowing down their spines. But the warmth that spread through their hearts would overcome even the cold rain of the storm. She pulled away and Zuko smiled.

"So you still like me?"

"Of course I do, and Naoki is just my friend Zuko. Please remember that."

She held his hand and pulled back towards the house.

"So how about getting out of this rain? It's a bit… wet, isn't it?"

Zuko smiled and nodded, when suddenly a foggy blur started to come closer. Katara looked at him curiously and they stood there waiting. The footsteps grew louder and clearer, all of a sudden the blur turned into a huge animal. It stopped right next to them and the man got off hastily.

"Have either of you two seen a girl in a blue outfit? She's been seen traveling with a man."

Katara recognized the voice instantly as the rain subsided. Zuko growled underneath his breath and shook his head. Each of them had their thoughts running at top speed; it was bewildering and inconceivable to think that Sokka had found them.

"Well? Don't you peasants know how to speak?"

Katara suddenly realized that she had the element of surprise on her side. Water hung in the very air around her, and if he decided to attack, it would be his loss.

"Of course we know how to speak Sokka. We're not savages."

Sokka narrowed his eyes and then saw that the woman in the green robes had piercing blue eyes. He gasped and then lunged at her. Zuko flung his arms out immediately and instinctively, fire shot out from them. Sokka threw Katara aside and dodged the fiery flames. They sizzled as the moist air around them put the flames out. Katara stood up and laughed.

"What do you want Sokka? Why have you come here?"

He withdrew a knife and darted around her. Sokka put the knife to her throat and Katara gasped as Zuko took a hesitant step towards her. Sokka wouldn't let her cocky attitude ruin the moment.

"Don't come any closer or I swear I will kill her!"

Zuko stepped back and clenched his fists.

"She didn't do anything to you! Why are you doing this?"

"For one, you killed my sister! Secondly, she helped you. Therefore, my revenge shall come at this long awaited moment. Yue! You are not forgotten! I shall avenge your death!"

He yelled out to the sky and the dark gray clouds that filled it. Katara closed her eyes and hoped with all of her soul that Yue would help her get out of harms way alive. As Sokka's laughter subsided, the clouds parted to reveal a shimmering night sky filled with stars and a brighter full moon. His jaw dropped as a soft white gaze slipped down to the earth. The mist formed into glistening crystals and he let go of Katara as Yue's beautiful form appeared before his eyes. Zuko took Katara into his arms and they heard a thud as Sokka dropped his knife to the ground.

"Sokka… why are you doing this to your sister?"

He wasn't able to speak, but he somehow managed to clear the lump in his throat.

"She… she killed you! You're _gone_ because of her!"

Her face became serious and she shook her head definitely.

"No she didn't Sokka. I chose my own destiny, and I might have died on the Earth in which you live, but I am still very much alive. I lived my life as a rotten spoiled princess, and only in death did I realize my mistakes. Please Sokka, let go of your past emotions. Start life with a positive outlook and don't judge people so quickly. Peasants can turn out to be the actual people of royal class. It's because of their loving hearts Sokka, not because of how much wealth they poses. Farewell my dear brother, treat Katara and Zuko well."

He reached out towards her as she drifted back up into the sky. Sokka screamed her name out loud as the clouds collided together once more. He hung his head and looked at the ground somberly. When Katara put her hand on his shoulder, he gazed at her sorrowfully.

"You were right, and I was being selfish. I didn't want to believe what you said. I'm… sorry."

She took her brother into her arms for the first time in her life. He returned the embrace warmly and saw Zuko standing nearby. Sokka walked over to him and bowed his head.

"Forgive me Zuko. I have acted like a fool."

Katara looked at Zuko pleadingly and he sighed.

"All right. As long as you promise to act like a regular person from now on. Here, you are not going to be treated like a _prince_."

Sokka nodded, understanding the circumstances. The animal behind them snorted and Katara laughed softly.

"This is going to be interesting…"

Sokka shrugged his shoulders and looked at the two of them innocently.

"What?"

Zuko pointed over his shoulder and smiled.

"How are we going to explain that Katara's long lost relative has come for a visit… and even more, how are we going to explain _that_?"

Sokka finally realized that they weren't wearing the clothes they had escaped with. He looked to the quaint house and sighed. Things were definitely going to start changing for the water tribe prince, of that he was certain.

..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:.. ..:-:..

**A/N:** I apologize for the long wait for this update. I hope that it was a good one:) I needed to do some "soul searching" if you know what I mean… I lost my touch for writing… if that's possible lol but it's back! And I hope it doesn't go away again! I hope to get at least one more update in before school starts in a week, maybe even two! Thanks so much for reading, and I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a review! Thanks again and have a wonderful day!

-Monika-


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The first thing they did was rid themselves of the huge overbearing animal. Sokka didn't mind the departure, letting the stink travel away by itself. The night stirred and the moon shined brilliantly against the dark pavement of the sky. Katara smiled as she led Sokka into the hut. The So family was settled inside the kitchen and Mrs. So immediately stood up and hurried over to Katara.

"Is everything all right? Zuko seemed very upset. Was it something we said?"

She waved her hand like a fan and shook her head enthusiastically.

"Oh no! It wasn't that, it was… well everything is much better now… however…"

Katara eyed Mr. So anxiously, her skin in her face tightening and becoming pale. He stood up as well and walked up to her, putting his hand on her arm gently.

"Are you all right Katara? You seem sick with nerves."

"I'm about to ask you another favor, but if you feel obligated to say no, please do. I don't want my family to be a burden to yours."

The parents stole a look from one another and then their gaze traveled past Katara's shoulder. Zuko entered along with another man, whose dirty blue robes exuded a stench of farm animals. He bowed his head as low as possible and then looked up, his skin as tight as Katara's, his hands rubbing together furiously.

"May I present my brother, Sokka. He has missed me so much and he wanted to come visit me for a while. That is the favor I ask of you, and if you cannot grant our request, please tell us."

Mrs. So put a hand to her mouth and then sighed. Mr. So walked around Sokka a few times and then grunted, his eyebrows narrowing, creating wrinkles in between them. Mrs. So scuttled towards her husband and put a hand on his arm.

"What do you think?"

"Well…" he took a deep breath and then beamed, shaking Sokka's hand. "We would love to have another strong man help us with our tasks around here! Of course you will need to borrow one of Naoki's spare robes. Speaking of, where is he?"

Mr. So went away in search of his son, while Mrs. So greeted Sokka herself.

"It's so nice to see Katara's family! But it seems curious to me, how did you find her?"

Zuko's eyes widened as Sokka and Katara exchanged worried glances. Katara was first to respond.

"I sent him a letter and he came as soon as he could." She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and they smiled sheepishly. "We missed each other very much."

Mrs. So beamed and nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Yes, yes, I do know what that feels like! Welcome and I hope you don't mind, but you will most likely have to sleep in the barn."

She turned around to leave and then Sokka's jaw dropped. Katara pulled away from Sokka as if he had suddenly infected her with a disease. The sibling affection they were displaying was nothing farther from the truth. Zuko muffled a laugh and then Katara turned her head towards him furiously.

"Don't laugh! It's not funny!"

He smirked and crossed his arms.

"Yes it is. The way the two of you are acting, it's nothing like what I saw up…"

Katara put her hand on his mouth, as he was about to say it. Sokka scratched his head in confusion and then shook his head.

"Katara, what are you doing? Why did you stop him from saying…"

She leapt and did the same thing with Sokka, his eyes popping out. As he struggled to grab her arm away from him, Mr. So came back into the room with Naoki following him. Right then, he pushed Katara away and took a deep breath of air. His eyes met with Naoki's and then the sense of superiority flooded through his veins again.

"So you're Naoki? I'm guessing that I have to _work_ with you?"

Zuko squinted at Sokka, knowing perfectly well what that attitude could do. Katara bit her lip, hoping that he wasn't going to change back into the person he had been before. Naoki took the question and responded appropriately.

"Yes, I'm Naoki. It's nice to meet you, and yes, you'll be working along with Zuko and I."

He moved closer towards him and Sokka's left eye squinted in horror as the mess of hair came closer. Sokka moved back a bit and then saw Katara's disapproving stare. He took Naoki's hand timidly and then shook it. Naoki's eyes glinted in the dim candlelight that the room provided and then he smiled.

"Have you met Emi yet?"

He let go of the hand and then turned to Zuko and Katara.

"Who's Emi?"

"That would be me. And who are you?"

Sokka turned his head slowly and then did a double take. His jaw dropped slightly but he quickly clenched it and then closed his eyes, not allowing her shining beauty through his gaze. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his hand and then saw that she was shaking it.

"Who might you be? I heard that someone was going to stay with us…"

He let go of her hand instantly; the warmth of her hand would not grow into his. Sokka held his mouth stiff and his head high as if he was back in the North Pole, communicating with another peasant.

"My name is Sokka and I am Katara's brother."

He walked away towards where Naoki sat. Emi stood erect, not moving her muscles at all. Her eyes stayed fixed on the wall behind where Sokka had stood. Katara walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, awakening her from the trance she was in.

"I'm sorry about the way he's acting… you could say Sokka is a bit too fond of himself."

Emi shook her head and a surprising smile flooded her face, the sparkle in her eyes becoming more prominent than before.

"I can't believe it Katara! Your brother is the first guy to not think of me like a queen! Do you know how happy I am now? He just made my day!"

Katara laughed slightly and then abruptly stopped when she received a cold look from Emi.

"I mean it! I'm glad he hasn't judged me based on my looks! I think we're going to get along perfectly!"

Katara and Emi tilted their heads towards Sokka who sat with his back towards them so that they couldn't see his face. Emi sighed and then Katara walked over to Zuko who put his arm around her shoulders.

"This isn't going to work out perfectly, is it?"

Katara smiled and put her head on his chest.

"I'm not sure, but it definitely feels like things are going to change."

Naoki sipped his tea and Sokka looked into his cup with his eyes dark and thoughtful.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm just tired… I guess I'm going to go to sleep now."

He stood up and left Naoki to wonder what was really behind the thoughtfulness he saw in Sokka's expression. As soon as Sokka left, Emi ran after him, leaving Zuko, Katara and Naoki in the quiet room.

"Wait up!"

She caught up to him and put her hands on her knees, taking in rapid breaths of air. Sokka turned around and yawned.

"What's wrong with you? You barely ran and now you look like you're going to be sick."

Emi stood up straight and let her hair fall onto her face. She held the anger inside of her and then dispersed it among her veins. She wasn't going to allow him to get to her that quickly.

"So? What do you want?"

"Well, this _is_ my house. I thought you would want some directions as to where the barn was."

Sokka laughed to himself and then clutched his side. Emi raised an eyebrow and then folded her arms. He walked over to her and then said coolly, "I think I know what a barn looks like, I'm not that stupid."

Emi was taken aback by his comment and she opened her mouth as if to say something but then closed it and pursed her lips together.

"Fine then! Go ahead and find it. I'll watch."

Sokka rolled his eyes and turned around. He made a few long strides to the small building on the left. A few seconds after he walked into it, he came running out screaming. Emi stifled her laughter and then stood straight once more. A roosterhen came running behind him and he kicked the air in front of it so that it would leave him alone.

"So, where's this farm of yours? You might want to check the pen, these things are crazy!"

Emi sighed and looked up at the moon, away from his gaze. He followed her gaze and sighed as well. Yue was up there and he had promised to be a better person.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Please, would you kindly direct me to the barn?"

Emi scrunched her mouth in thought and then a few seconds later smiled and nodded her head.

"All right. It's the building to the right of the one on the left."

He made a mental note and then proceeded in that direction without saying a word to her. She pounded the floor with her foot and then screamed out to him.

"You're welcome! That guy! He's so ungrateful!"

She turned around and walked briskly back towards the house. Sokka peered out from the building just in time to see her green bandana disappear into the house. He sighed and smiled.

"Thanks Emi."

..:-:..

The next morning, Sokka grabbed onto a bunch of hay and brought it closer to his head, cuddling it as if it were a pillow.

"Ah… so soft… nice… bed…"

He brushed it against his cheek a few times and then he wrinkled his nose. The sneeze that propelled him out of his sleep caused him to sit up warily. Sokka shifted his head to the left and then to the right, observing the hay around him. He screamed and then stood up, letting the hay float down from his open hand. When his fingers touched the side of his throbbing cheek, he whimpered and then ran out of the barn. As he did, he saw Naoki coming back from one of the other buildings next to their hut. He raised an eyebrow and then smirked.

"I guess you're not used to sleeping in a barn, are you?"

Naoki shook his head and walked inside. Sokka clenched his fists and muttered to himself. He wouldn't let the situation beat him. As he walked through the wet morning grass, he didn't take too much notice as of where he placed his feet. Right before he entered the house, his back foot stepped in a hole and his front foot slipped on the glistening blades. He cried out as he fell, his hands smudging on the muddy ground. Mrs. So rushed outside and helped him stand up.

"Are you all right dear? Come now, we need to get you into some clean clothes!"

He followed her shamefully, the bags under his eyes and the pink scratches on his cheek making him look like the finest prince of all. Everyone was already in the kitchen eating breakfast and he put his hand to his forehead. Quickly, he glanced at Emi who was laughing with Katara. Zuko was discussing something about the work they were going to do with Naoki and his father. He seemed so misplaced among the rest of them, and that was when the realization hit him. His life was going to be different from then on. Mrs. So handed him the worn out green robe and he took it with a small 'thanks'. As he changed into it, he looked at his muddy blue robe from the North Pole and sighed. He hadn't had the chance to tell Katara what had happened, but the news would wait. There was no way that he would put something that tremendous on her shoulders when she really didn't need to know about it.

He came out and saw that only Katara, Emi and Naoki were sitting at the table. There was an empty spot with a bowl of porridge. He sat down and began eating it. His left eye squinted as the harsh taste spilled over his tongue. As he did that, the scratches on his cheek became irritated and he put his hand to his cheek.

"So Sokka, how is it really that you got those scratches? I'm assuming you had a terrible fight with the racoonit that lives in the barn!"

Katara laughed at her own joke, finally feeling the pressure of their royal sibling rivalry vanishing.

"Ha-ha, very funny Katara. I haven't slept on hay before. How was I supposed to know that it was scratchy?"

Naoki rested his cheek on his hand and sighed.

"Katara's told us all about you Sokka. That is, she only told Emi and I. Our parents have no idea that Zuko and Katara are benders, or that the two of you are royal."

His mouth dropped and suddenly the taste in his mouth disappeared.

"What? You … oh…"

He looked down at his hands and then rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"It's okay Sokka, we don't think any less of you. We know that it all worked out in the end."

His eyes shot up to stare into Emi's, who finished her little speech and smiled. Sokka looked back down into his food and sighed, taking in another bite. Zuko came back in and nodded at the entire group.

"We have to start work today early. Your father says there were some problems and we have a lot of make up work to cover."

Naoki nodded and stood up, Katara and Emi following suit. Sokka was still eating when he felt someone dragging him upwards. He saw that it was Katara who had managed to pull him up all by herself.

"Since when were you that strong?"

"Since when were you this light?"

A faint blush appeared on his cheeks, and he saw Emi giggle as she walked out into the sunlight. They all walked out and found piles of dirt bags. Zuko took one and then Naoki took another as well. The two girls looked expectantly at Sokka, who after a minute or so, realized he was supposed to take a bag and help the other guys. He reached for it, and then pulled with all of his strength, the veins in his hands bulging out. Emi shivered at the sight and Katara rolled her eyes.

"Need some help Sokka?"

A deeper blush spread across his face as the humiliation kept rolling around inside of him, creating an even larger ball of misery. She stepped in front of him and with a deep breath, managed to pull the bag over her shoulder. Katara waved at Emi and then shouted as she tried to catch up to Zuko and Naoki.

"I think I'm going to substitute for Sokka today. Show him around and let him do some of your chores."

In the blink of an eye, she was gone and the sun began to stream into the So's back yard. For a while, Emi and Sokka said nothing to each other. He sighed occasionally while Emi hustled around him, cleaning up the back yard. Finally, she went up to him and punched him in the shoulder.

"Hey! What was that for? Are you crazy?"

"Nope, I just wanted to see how weak you really are."

His still manner turned hostile as he grabbed her arms and began to shake her.

"Sokka! Quit it!"

He let go of her and then his eyes softened as he watched her rubbing her arms tenderly. Suddenly, the pit of his stomach clenched together; Emi's beautiful brown eyes were glistening with tranquil tears.

"I might know a lot about you, but you don't know me at all. You don't know anything about my family! You shouldn't even be here, but my parents are such kind and generous people, so they couldn't say no to the three travelers that suddenly came our way!"

She slapped him and his fading scratches turned bright pink again. He touched his face softly and then sighed.

"Sorry."

"Yeah, well that's not going to cut it! Do you know why I was barely able to breathe last night? Do you know why I'm going to have bruises on my arms the size of cocobu? It's because I'm sick Sokka. I'm weak, weaker than even you."

She stopped screaming and her wild arms fell to her sides. Her bunchy hair spilled out from under her bandana and it fell to the ground gracefully. Sokka bent and picked it up, carefully giving it back to her. The mistrust in her eyes diminished slightly and then she sighed as she placed the bandana back into its place.

"I didn't know… I'm sorry."

"It's okay… you know now and that's more important I guess…"

He looked around the farm, not wanting to make eye contact with her.

"So, you want to start with the chores? I'll go easy on you today."

Sokka couldn't help but look up at her, and when he did, he returned her warm smile without any thought.

..:-:..

Zuko and Naoki were walking together in peace towards the forest. They had taken a few more sacks of dirt and threw them into the pit where Mr. So worked. As they tossed the few remaining sacks into the hole, a familiar voice called out to them.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

The two men were stunned to see Katara running up to them, a sack of dirt slipping from her shoulders. Loose strands of hair fell onto her face as she slowed down and dumped the bag in. She put her hands on her hips and then took a sigh of relief.

"Finally! I never thought I'd be able to catch up with the two of you!"

They stood dumbfounded. Sokka was supposed to be the one helping them, not Katara.

"Where's Sokka? I thought he was…"

"Nope. He's a bit tired from traveling, so he's going to help Emi today, and I'm going to help you!"

She smiled radiantly and Naoki looked away, slightly agitated. Zuko hugged Katara and gave her a quick kiss before the three of them set off towards the forest. Zuko took in the majesty of the tall green trees, their trunks so wide and sturdy. Sometimes he wished that he could be like that, he had been trying to be like that all along. Yet sometimes, his thoughts wondered and crazy ideas popped inside of his head. He held Katara's hand tighter as they passed the barrier between the fields and the forest.

"Naoki, has your family always lived here?"

He turned around and cocked his eyebrow.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

Zuko shrugged his shoulders and shook his head momentarily.

"No reason. Just curious."

Naoki looked away and started to walk at a faster pace. Zuko and Katara exchanged confused glances as they ducked and maneuvered around the foliage. After a half hour of doing the usual tasks, Zuko noted that Naoki was acting stranger than he usually did.

"Katara, is it just me, or does it seem like there's something wrong with Naoki?"

"It's not you Zuko, because I sense it too."

She shrugged as they observed the harsh movements, which the earth bender portrayed. He was trying to finish whatever he had to do, as fast as possible, but Zuko and Katara had no idea why that was.

"We should keep a closer eye on him," Zuko whispered into Katara's ear.

She nodded and they split apart, finishing the piles that they had made. Suddenly, Naoki turned to them and called out through the trees.

"We're done. The two of you should go back to see what my father wants us to do. I'll be waiting here."

Zuko was about to protest when Katara stared at him.

"All right. We're going to go."

She pulled Zuko's arm and he hissed at her.

"I thought we agreed that we were going to keep a closer eye on him!"

"That's exactly what we are going to do Zuko. Just keep close to me."

Zuko smiled, knowing that she didn't need to tell him that. They crouched in a nearby bush, watching as Naoki peeked to see if they were gone. Once he felt sure of it, he walked over to a tree in the distance and then placed his hands on it. The ground underneath him shook and a hole appeared inside of the tree. He stepped through it and vanished from their sight. Zuko tugged on Katara's sleeve and they nodded in agreement. Quickly, their footsteps light against the soft grass, they made their way to the tree and entered the hole just as it was about to close. Once inside, Zuko made a flame in his hands and Katara gasped. There, inside of the tree was an underground staircase. She swallowed hard, fear suddenly gripping her insides. There wasn't much she really knew about Naoki, but Zuko squeezed her shoulder firmly, and with his presence came her reassurance.

The two of them walked down the staircase step by step, with Zuko leading the way. It seemed like an hour or so passed by before they walked through the tunnel at the end of the staircase. At the end of it was a wall, cascading echoes of voices repeated behind it. Zuko's flame burned brighter and with his free hand, he wiped away the hair from his forehead, along with the beads of sweat that had perspired there. Katara listened intently, placing her ear to the wall, but still she couldn't hear anything.

"Do you think he's in there?"

Zuko narrowed his eyes and then nodded.

"I'm almost sure. How are we going to get in there though? We can't bend the wall."

"What if there's a door somewhere?"

"Maybe… let's check."

The two of them continued along the wall, the voices still roaring and then settling down. The rush of anxiety kept Katara's heart pounding, not knowing what was going on behind the wall. Suddenly, Zuko smiled and ran forward a few steps.

"Guess what I just found?"

Katara ran up to him, smiling excitedly, the loose strands of hair flying away from her face.

"A door!"

..:-:..

Naoki slipped into the oval shaped room once more and bowed to the leader sitting in the middle.

"It appears that you made it on time today. Excellent. You may sit in your place."

Naoki bowed his head slightly and turned to sit on a mat designated for him alone. The chattering of the men quieted and the meeting began. The man in the middle resembled Naoki somewhat, more handsome one would say. His tangled hair wasn't as stiff and his face was ageless, no creases of scars in sight. He stood up and looked around the room with dignity.

"Today's the day men. There will be a select few of you that are going to be chosen for an important mission in the heart of the city. The governor's behaviors and laws can no longer be lived by and we must fight back, but with ingenuity and bravery. There will be no stupid mistakes, and you will _not_ let yourself be found out. Our task—"

The two oak doors swung open in front of the man in the middle and his eyes bulged. Naoki's face drained itself of all color when he saw who had stumbled into the room. Zuko and Katara's jaws dropped when they saw the array of men sitting around the room. When they saw Naoki among them, they snapped their jaws shut and filled their lungs with the moist air inside the room. The two of them jumped when a thunderous voice echoed around them.

"Who led them here? Who let these _spies_ into our hide out? Men!"

Before they could defend themselves, four men surrounded them and pushed both Zuko and Katara against the wall. They struggled but soon gave up as the searing pain in their necks and arms became too much to bear. The man in charge strolled over to the prisoners and reached out his arms. With a flick of his wrists, he managed to pull the earth up and he encompassed Zuko and Katara inside the earth with no way out. Naoki ran up to them and then Zuko yelled in outrage.

"We are not spies! We are Naoki's friends and we do _not _deserve this type of behavior!"

The man turned his head slowly towards Naoki, and suddenly his eyes pierced into Naoki's. The earth trembled and Naoki sank to his knees.

"How dare you lead them here without my consent? The safety of our society is at stake and you gamble it on these two? One of which a _girl_?"

Katara dropped her jaw and was about to retort but Zuko gave her a warning glare and she decided against it.

"I'm sorry Chief. I had no idea that they were going to follow me."

"Of course we were going to follow you! You kept disappearing and you never told us a true story of where you had been. We wanted to find out for ourselves."

The leader turned towards Zuko and looked him up and down. As he did that, Katara observed how youthful he seemed to be for a Chief. He could not have been that much older than Zuko or Naoki. The chief seemed to think for a while, taking a piece of straw into his mouth. His armor glistened and then he sat back down in his throne. He waved his hand and the ground let go of Zuko and Katara.

"Men, there will be a fifteen minute break. Assemble in formation no later than that."

Naoki stood next to the chief, his face regaining some of the color. Zuko crossed his eyebrows and shook his head.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us."

Naoki lifted his head and then snarled back.

"I couldn't! It's a rule of this Freedom Society. We can't even let our family know about it!"

Katara's anger cooled and she whispered a question into the air.

"So Emi doesn't even know?"

He shook his head. Suddenly, the chief cleared his throat and held his head high.

"What are your names?"

"I'm Zuko and this is Katara."

"You seem like dependable people. I'm Chief Jet, but since you're not a part of the society, you can call me Jet."

Naoki's eye winced. He was the chief's closest correspondent and he was never allowed to call him by his first name. The three of them bowed to each other and Zuko nodded.

"We'll do anything we can to help."

"Good. Then you will be able to join Naoki in a task that I've been meaning to set up for weeks now. Listen up."

The four of them huddled together while the others gathered in their small groups to talk about the new visitors.

"As you all know, the governor isn't exactly friendly with his citizens. Everyone is below the poverty ranking of the nearest cities. I have a strong feeling that he is conspiring with the Fire Nation."

Zuko recalled the earlier event in the alley where he saw two Fire Nation soldiers with some civilians.

"I saw soldiers in the city after dark. I think they were mugging someone."

Jet's eyes searched Zuko's and they became tiny dots. Before long, he nodded and patted Zuko on the back.

"Good eye. I was right about you. You've already proven yourself worthy. Naoki, you know the plan, correct?"

"Yes, we go and steal back as much as we can, but not enough so that he notices."

"All right, I'll leave the three of you to it then. Katara… you're going to be the look out."

She was about to protest, her hands already at her hips, but Zuko cut her off once again.

"That's a good idea. You can keep the guards busy."

The last sentence stung the air around them. Zuko didn't want Katara to have anything to do with the guards, but the circumstances called for a girl as beautiful as Katara to keep them occupied.

"Okay, there's no time to lose. Go and I'll restart the meeting and start the other tasks for the day. It was nice to meet you Zuko and Katara. I hope we meet again soon."

He bowed and made his way back towards the center of the room. Naoki walked past everyone and made an exit in the wall. After Zuko and Katara stepped out and Naoki closed the wall, Zuko lit up his fist again and the walls became shadows of orange light. They walked down the familiar tunnel and finally Katara spoke up.

"It's brave of you Naoki, to be a part of the Freedom Society."

He turned his head slowly and a small crooked and relieved smile appeared on his face.

"Thanks Katara."

Zuko led the way and with each step that he took, he felt the resentment grow. However, he knew that he had to be as stable and forgiving as Katara, so he kept his temper low and kept walking further until they reached the staircase. In no time at all, they made it up and Naoki bended their way out of the tree. The sun had shifted while they were under ground and the time was dwindling. They ran through the forest swiftly, being sure not to cause any disturbances. Suddenly, when they reached the edge, Naoki stopped and Zuko and Katara looked at him with confusion, their eyes raised and their hands at their hips.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Hold on. You'll see."

Naoki spread his legs apart and took inhaled sharply. He punched the ground with his fist, and then pushed the air in front of him with his other arm. Another hole appeared and he jumped down inside of it.

"Come on! Get inside!"

Zuko helped Katara down, and Naoki caught her. Zuko jumped down and created a ball of orange and yellow flames in his hand. He smiled as the warmth escaped into the air around him and as he began to feel the flow of chi around his body. The gap above them closed and then Naoki told the two of them to stand back. They watched in astonishment as Naoki pushed the wall of dirt in front of them, causing ripples of dirt to fall on top of their heads. As the ground moved, Zuko held onto Katara tightly.

"This is a much faster way to travel."

Zuko and Katara winced as the ground shook each bone in their bodies. The dirt kept falling into their hair and Katara clenched her jaw shut. After a few minutes, the movements slowed down and Naoki stood back. He swung his arm above his head and a hole appeared. Zuko jumped up and then helped Katara up. Naoki lifted the ground underneath him and soon enough, the three of them were standing behind a grand building that stretched for a long time. It was only one story high, yet it seemed to be the center of the city just because of its all around size.

"Tell me," Katara asked as she patted the rubble out of her hair, "is this why your hair looks so much like dirt? Because you do _that_ all the time?"

Instead of responding in anger, Naoki laughed.

"I guess so. But I don't pay that much attention to it after a while."

Zuko shook his head vigorously, but then Naoki glared at him and the three of them stood straight up against a wall. Two guards passed by and Naoki raised the ground with his finger. One of them tripped on the mound of ground and the other immediately knelt by him. Naoki motioned for Zuko to follow, but Katara still wanted to tag along. Once they ran into the back storage room, Naoki began to fume.

"Katara! What about your role? You need to be the watch out!"

"I'm not going to do that! What if you need my help inside? We can always deal with the outside threats later."

Zuko knew that he didn't want her to get hurt, especially if it was because he wasn't there to protect her. He shook his head and sighed.

"She's right. We have to take her with."

Naoki growled and then ruffled his hair with his hand.

"All right. Let's just go. We can't waste anymore time. I know where the governor keeps his money. It's underneath a courtyard in the middle of the palace."

"How are we going to get inside the palace?" Katara asked curiously.

"We_ are_ inside of the palace. Unlike other cities, Denati is known for its complex flat palace, which has many navigational problems. If we're lucky, we won't run into any."

Naoki opened the door of the storage room, and they found themselves inside of a series of hallways. They crept down the corridors and whenever they met themselves with a guard, they knocked him out with one swift blow to his left shoulder. Naoki had learned this effective move in the society and it only knocked the person out temporarily if executed the right way. The soldier would wake up not remembering anything. Finally they found their way to the courtyard, which apparently was two stories below them. They looked out onto the trees that dotted the landscape and Katara paced around nervously, her feet scuttling against the floor. Suddenly, Naoki pulled out a rope and threw it onto a branch. He swung across to the main part of the tree and then Zuko caught it as he swung it back.

"Katara goes next."

Zuko nodded and fastened the rope around her waist. She kissed him tenderly before she jumped off of the balcony. The wind swept through her hair and she felt the trillions of blood cells in her body move with more viscosity than ever before. Her heart pounded against her chest and in a few seconds of free fall, she finally felt stable, two arms wrapping around her. She closed her eyes and held onto him tightly, her breath quick and harsh. For a moment, Katara forgot that Zuko was on the balcony. She stepped back and opened her eyes, a bold blush spreading across her cheek. Naoki didn't display any emotion in his eyes, only allowing himself to focus on untying the rope around her waist.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded quickly and helped him untie the rope. Naoki threw the rope to the balcony and in a few seconds, Zuko landed near them. Zuko let the rope drop down to the ground and he made his way down. Next Katara closed her eyes and gripped onto the rope with all of her strength. Naoki patted her shoulder for reassurance and her fingers fidgeted a bit. For the first time, she began to feel awkward around Naoki, the heat in her face growing by the minute. After she began to climb down the rope, Naoki followed and soon enough the three of them were on the ground. No guards were around, so Naoki tugged on the rope and it fell from the branch. He coiled it up and put it around his back. Next, he pushed the ground and the three of them were swallowed up into it.

Once Zuko managed to bring a flame to his palm, he turned to Katara and noticed how discolored her face seemed to be.

"What's wrong?"

She wrapped her arms around him and dug her face into his chest.

"Maybe you should have stayed behind."

"No. I'm… okay… I just wanted to hug you."

She kissed him lightly on the lips and he pressured his mouth over hers. Katara sighed as he stepped away. Zuko was the only man she could love, and no one else. They followed Naoki, but she didn't look into his face. Suddenly, they reached a door and when Naoki pushed it open, glimmering light bounced off of the surface of the money. Their eyes widened and then they snapped back to reality. Each stuffed as much money as possible from different spots of the room into three separate bags. Naoki took all three and put them in the large duffel he brought along. They ran out and closed the door, hurrying to find the spot where they had come down by the tree. Once they found it, Naoki anxiously pushed the ground upwards. Everything seemed to be going perfectly, expect for the surprise that awaited them once they resurfaced to the tree.

Katara gasped as five guards surrounded them. In instinct, Zuko swung his leg into the chest of the closest guard. Then he picked up the broad swords and began to fight off the other soldiers. Naoki had trapped some in a tent of earth and then punched their shoulders. Zuko and Naoki were too busy fighting to realize that one soldier stood apart from the rest, holding Katara hostage. As they turned around, each of their eyes bulged and their arms dropped to their sides. Katara whimpered as the man held her back, a sword held up to her neck.

"Don't move or this pretty lady gets it! Drop your bags too!"

Katara opened her eyes and looked at Zuko for a sign. Out of nowhere, she felt a wave of dizziness overcome her and she grew limp in the man's arms. He had to catch her before she fell and when he bent to do so, she waited a few seconds before opening her eyes and launching her left fist into his left shoulder. The man fell on top of Katara and the sword clinked as it made contact with the ground. Naoki and Zuko rushed to help Katara get up, Naoki pulling the man off of her, and Zuko helping her stand up. They embraced openly, and then Naoki yelled at them.

"We have no time to lose. Leave that for later. Come on!"

They ran to the tree and Naoki looked for his rope. His hands scrambled to find it, but it was nowhere to be found.

"I don't have my rope, I'm going to have to earth bend us up to the balcony. Hold on tight!"

Zuko and Katara had no problem doing that as the ground underneath them trembled. The tower of earth reached up to the bottom of the balcony, and each of them jumped over. Naoki sent the ground back into its place and then the running began. They didn't stop to make sure that the halls were clear of any people. Zuko led the way, Katara and Naoki following. They were almost near the entrance hall, when two guards appeared. Zuko was still running and didn't notice that Katara and Naoki were delayed. Everything happened so fast that it seemed like a blur. One of the guards knocked Naoki down and then Katara found herself water bending from the nearest bowl of water that lay on a table in the hall. She knocked both of the soldiers out, and then ran to Naoki.

"Where did you get hurt? I can heal you!"

He shook his head and winced as he tried to get up.

"No, you go. Take the bag. Save yourself!"

She heard the guards stirring and more footsteps echoing down the hall. Katara quickly found the spot where Naoki was holding himself and she rested her cool hand on it. She partially healed his chi, and she dragged him up.

"Come on! We're going to make it!"

They ran as fast as they could and finally they saw Zuko.

"What took you so long?"

"I'll tell you later! We need to distract the front guards!"

Naoki shook his head and took a sharp breath of air.

"No. I'll go out with Zuko and prepare to make the get away. You'll come out then and distract the guards, leap into the hole and we'll make it."

She bit her lip and then heard the distant footsteps growing louder.

"Go!"

Naoki and Zuko jumped out into the open and the two guards jumped back in surprise. Just as they were going to attack, Naoki lifted his arm into the air and Katara jumped out as well. She waved sheepishly to the guards, confusing them further. A loud boom echoed into the air as the ground gave way, covering up the threesome. Katara found the first person and held onto them tightly. When she heard the quick intake of air, she retreated and knew that it had been Naoki she had grabbed. She retreated and the unstable movement of the box car in the ground jolted her back, causing her to hit her body against the moving wall. She fell down to the floor and stayed there for the remainder of the way home.

When the movement stopped, the moonlight faded into the ground, shadowing Katara's body on the floor. Zuko immediately grabbed her and walked her away from the hole. Naoki sealed it up, panting after so much effort on his part.

"Go, take her home. I need to bring this to the society."

He pointed to the bag and then Zuko nodded. Naoki didn't move though; he stood watching the two of them walk away slowly. He growled angrily at himself and then looked away, walking towards the secret entrance to the Freedom Society. Not only was his entire body aching from the physical tasks he had mastered; his heart seeped into the misery it tried to keep hidden all along.

* * *

**A/N:** I really hope this makes up for the long wait! I spent (literally) ALL day on this! So I would reeeaalllyyy appreciate it if you could leave a review! It's the only thing that keeps me writing this story, cause that way I know you still want me to write! Any feedback would be wonderful!

Oh and a few things I'd like to clear up. Yes, the chief is the same Jet from the show. As are all of the characters, but of course I twisted it around a bit. He's not a complete jerk, and he's not as rash about everything as the real Jet. I'm sorry if it seemed rushed at some parts, but my fingers are KILLING me right now and I really wanted to get this updated because I won't be able to for a long time to come!

Hopefully you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for reading! (oh! And what do you think of Sokka and Emi? Tehe!)

-Monika-


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The silver breeze cooled the sweat off of Zuko's face as he stumbled through the dark fields and into the So's humble farm. Katara coughed a few times and then he laid her down on some hay in the barn. He quickly brought a flask of water towards her and splashed it gently on her face so that she would wake up. At once, the prickling of soft life giving water droplets stained her skin and she fluttered her eyes open to see Zuko's messy head above her.

"Zuko? Is that you?"

She coughed and then fell forward into his embrace. He rubbed her arm tenderly as her hand crept up towards his strong shoulders.

"We made it Katara. Naoki went back to the society. Everything is going to be fine, but I don't think that we should help them anymore."

She sighed and closed her eyes as she rested her head on his chest, his heartbeat pounding against her ear.

"Okay… whatever you want to do…"

Zuko held her a bit more tightly, and as the moon shined down onto her beautiful face, he felt the words choke up in his throat. He looked away, not allowing himself to feel so weak. Every second that they had been fighting for the better good of the peasants in Denati, every second he the thought of losing Katara entered his mind and he found himself focusing on that more than anything else. At that moment, when she began to fall asleep in his arms, he felt the world slip away, as if nothing else mattered. He sighed and tilted his head on top of hers.

"I'll be right here Katara, right… next to you, and I won't let anything… happen…"

He fell asleep amid the yawning and the two of them rustled against the hay beside them.

Sokka and Emi were standing outside of the barn, just standing and looking at each other for what seemed to be the longest minute in the entire world.

"Thanks for a great day today Emi…"

"It was no big deal… I mean, showing you how to do some chores wasn't as much of a wasted day as I thought it would be."

She laughed, showing off her gorgeous smile. Sokka was mesmerized by the amounts of beauty that shined through her face, the way that she even talked left him sometimes speechless. All of it had happened in one day, and now he didn't know if he could be separated from her. Suddenly, she whacked him on the head gently and he snapped out of his delirious eye goggling state.

"What was that for?"

"So that I could finally get your attention. I'm surprised I was able to teach you at all!"

He smiled as she pulled him away from the barn and into the field.

"What are we doing?"

"You always have a question to ask, don't you?"

"That's a question too though!"

Emi's eyes sparkled with brilliance as they came to a stop in the middle of the field.

"Sit down."

Sokka stared at her blankly and shrugged his shoulders. He obeyed, and then his eyes bulged as she pushed his back all the way to the ground.

"Are you crazy?"

Her eyes glimmered above him and her soft hair scratched his cheeks playfully.

"Shh… just look."

Her face disappeared and Sokka did what she asked, he looked up at the sky. Millions of stars dotted the vast expanse of hazy blue and his jaw dropped in awe.

"Wow…there's so many stars… we didn't see so many at the North Pole. It was just the moon…"

He fell silent for a moment and then sat up sadly. Emi's smile softened and she turned his head towards her.

"The Earth Kingdom belongs to the stars. They shine the brightest in the sky to reveal that our hopes shine in the hidden legacies of those who looked up at night before us. Each star shines with hope, and everyone can find their own star if they want. You can choose the hope that will guide you with your heart, no matter what you've done in the past."

Her soft words flowed with the wind and rustled against his face. Sokka melted inside as her fingers slipped into his hand. He jerked awkwardly but then looked into her deep emerald eyes and saw something there that he hadn't seen before. The kindness in her heart warmed up her face unlike anything else. In a moment, their lips would have touched, brushed against each other and spilled the warmth into each others hearts, but someone came stampeding through the field. Emi pulled away and gasped when she saw that it was her brother Naoki.

"Hey! Where have you been?"

They stood up and followed Naoki, who hadn't paid them the slightest bit of attention.

"Are you deaf? I asked you a question!"

She barged right in front of him and stopped him where he was, just a few long strides away from their house.

"I was in the forest just sipping some water from a dirty river because I had nothing better to do!"

Sokka winced as he strode away from them. Emi bit her lip and glanced after her brother, who seemed burdened with something heavy on his heart. His eyes gleamed with sorrow and his body ached, lagging behind with each step that he took. She sighed and then rolled her eyes when she heard Sokka's remark.

"I could think of a few things that would have been better to do than that! Is your brother really that dim?"

Emi hit him on the shoulder and ran after her brother. Sokka rubbed the spot where she had hit him and then smiled. He began to walk towards the barn and when he stepped inside, he stopped and his jaw dropped. Zuko and Katara were asleep peacefully in each other's arms. Despite his usual arrogance, he nodded and crept out of the barn. That night, he would sleep in their room since they decided to take his, not that he minded it though.

..:-:..

Emi finally caught up to her brother when she reached the house. She stood silently in the doorway as his scolding came close to being finished.

"And don't you ever scare us like that again! Do you want your mother to die of an early heart attack?"

Naoki hung his head and barely moved his lips to speak.

"No."

"Then we have come to an understanding. Oh, and here's Emi. You should take an example from your sister! She's been working harder than you! Now go to bed, both of you! Tomorrow is our day off, but some work that wasn't done today needs to be finished. Good night."

His parents walked away and into their own room. Naoki let out a frustrated sigh and sat down near the table. Emi sat down next to him quietly, her feet moving around as if the floor was going to break underneath her.

"Naoki… for the past few days… you've been so distant from me, from everyone. What's happened to you? I feel like you can't trust me anymore."

She looked down at her lap and then a tear spilled down her cheek. Naoki saw this and he pounded the table with his fist.

"Damn it! Why does everyone have to be so emotional around here?"

She looked up at him bewildered, her tears dry and her mouth agape.

"I can't believe that you just said that! I'm your sister! I have a right to care about you! Mother thinks you're a tough man, and father thinks so as well. But I know you. I know that there's something soft inside the hard exterior, but you try so hard to live up to that image of the perfect son! Tell me what's wrong Naoki!"

At that moment, Sokka walked into the room and the two of them stared at him. After a few seconds of awkwardness, he whistled and went into Katara and Zuko's room. Naoki stood up and walked outside, Emi following him all the way. She kept tagging along after him until they were a few feet off of their property.

"You want to know what's wrong with me? You really want to know?"

She nodded her head and then he turned to her, his eyes not solid, but as delicate as a blade of grass in the morning, sleek and tainted with moisture.

"Ever since she came here, I've changed. I don't know what it is about her Emi, but I can't keep my mind off of Katara."

She put her hand on his arm and sighed. The wind gently brushed against their clothes, waving their sleeves just a bit. As he stood there, Naoki became vulnerable to the moon's light, which illuminated his figure from everything that was around them.

"I know… you told me…"

"No, you don't understand Emi. Every second I breathe, I think about her. Every time I think about her, my heart cringes. Do you understand now? Since Katara has come here, I've lost my appetite, I work harder than before, all because I have to see her and think about not being able to be with her."

His bold statement silenced Emi's will and she felt her heart break in two by hearing the sorrow grow in his voice with each word he said.

"I'm… sorry Naoki… I wish there was something I could do…"

He laughed suddenly and threw his hands up in the air.

"You see now don't you? I _have_ to live like this as long as she's here because it's not like I can just go up to her and tell her everything I just told you."

It was the worst moment for Emi to be his sister. For the first time, she didn't know what to say.

"I think we should go to bed."

"It's okay, you go. I'll be inside in a few moments."

She squeezed his hand and then went back towards the house. Emi disappeared from his view. He looked up to the stars and sighed. When he blew right past Emi and Sokka, he had only pretended that he had heard nothing. His gaze shifted from one star to the next, and then he let the tears fall from his eyes, shimmering just like the dots in the sky.

"Where's my hope? It's nowhere because there's no hope for me."

After a few moments he walked away and towards the house, into the place where he would finally allow his body to recuperate, his sleep.

..:-:..

The birds began to chirp and Katara felt the stiffness under her arms. She raised herself and then Zuko's arm fell to his side. Katara allowed herself to smile as she stretched and then kissed him on his forehead. Zuko stirred a bit, but didn't wake up.

"You're such a heavy sleeper sometimes, and your hair is so cute when it's messy too!"

She laughed quietly and went to freshen up. For some reason, she felt the pain of yesterday's adventure wearing off. When she finished, her stomach growled and at once she walked towards the house. Once she entered, she saw that Mr. and Mrs. So were already in the kitchen preparing food.

"Oh, good morning Katara! Did you and Zuko travel into town for dinner last night? We were worried about you."

"Uh," she looked around hesitantly before answering, "yes… we did actually!"

"Did you like the food? I'm sure it wasn't better than my wife's cooking though!"

They laughed but the cheerful festivities ended when a thundering knock on the door pounded into their hearts. Mr. So walked over to the door quickly and Katara suddenly felt the room begin to spin. She stumbled away from the house and into the sunlight of the open air around her. Katara stopped and leaned on the barn, listening to the small echoes of shouting coming from the living room.

"We need to search your premises. Last night there was a robbery in the palace and we believe that a young man and woman were accomplices."

"Oh sir! Please, we only have a boy who was with me all day yesterday out in the fields and a weak girl."

The soldier walked around the house briskly, not really paying attention to the small traveling bags from the North Pole that were hidden in the corner where Sokka slept.

"Your son doesn't fit the description. This inspection has ended. Note that the Governor has ordered another tax. Someone will come tomorrow to collect it."

The door slammed shut and Mrs. So held onto to her husband tightly.

"What are we going to do? We just paid the tax this week!"

As he calmed his wife down, Mr. So wasn't aware of the fact that his son was standing silently near the back entrance. Naoki had watched the entire thing unfold and his fists clenched painfully. He darted out of the house swiftly and jumped forward a few strides before he stopped. His eyes searched the figure standing next to the barn and his furious thoughts and pumping heartbeat disappeared. Her tender blue eyes cooled his rage and she walked over to him carefully.

"Are you okay Naoki? You seem… a bit worn out."

He blinked a few times and then winced as the wind sliced at his aching muscles. Katara made him sit down on an old woven chair and then she waved her hands through the air in a fluid like motion. Her fingertips directed the glowing water towards his face and he stared at her with doubt.

"Come on, just open your mouth. It won't hurt at all, I promise."

He had never received any help at all, but at that moment, with her breath so close to his face, he wavered in his strength and he nodded, parting his lips. Naoki closed his weary eyes as the cool water washed over his tongue and seeped into the back of his throat. The rejuvenating magic of water bending spread into every sore muscle that his body owned. When he opened his eyes, she was standing there, ready to help him stand up.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel… great."

He looked away and her smile vanished as she saw the tight lines near the corners of his eyes. She put a hand on her shoulder and sighed.

"I can tell that there's something wrong and that something I don't think I can fix with my water bending. Do you… want to talk about it?"

He turned his head slowly towards her, his neck craning to inch closer to her lulling voice. With that said, his remaining ability to stay fierce and unmoved, crumbled.

"All right. I'll tell you. There's a girl I met and I can't stop thinking about her. She haunts me in my dreams like the infinite expanse of dense sky during the night. I try to keep away the urge to search for her, but she keeps coming into my thoughts, and each time this happens, my heart breaks further into the depressing agony of my life."

Katara's hand dropped and her face crippled with sorrow.

"I would have never thought… that you felt that way about someone…you always seemed so headstrong about everything… but why are you pushing her away? Why don't you tell her how you feel? You shouldn't allow yourself to fall into misery. You deserve more than that Naoki."

He smiled gently, only the left corner of his mouth rising in an upward angle.

"Katara… I wish it were that simple. But you don't understand…"

"Understand what?"

"I can't tell her."

"Why not? Why can't you tell her?"

He looked away, his eyes narrowing and creating a crease in between his eyebrows. Then, Naoki faced her again and leaned forward slightly. The tense particles of warm air pulled her in closer, all of her thoughts depending on the words that were going to come out of his mouth.

"I can't tell her because she's already fallen for another guy. I can't tell her because she would hate my guts for feeling the way I feel. If I told her, I think it would hurt me more to see the pain in her perfect blue eyes…"

The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them, and when he realized he had done the thing he wanted the most not to do, Naoki's eyes widened and his fingers spread apart, trembling. Katara shrank into herself, into the heart that began to bleed each beat into her ears. She shook her head and let the tears fall from her pain stricken eyes.

"How… no… you can't… this can't be true… no, it can't…"

"Katara, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell you! I didn't want you to know!"

She sobbed lightly and wiped the tears off of her flushed cheeks. The sunlight reflected off of them as the rays hit the water and created prisms of radiance.

"I can't believe it… but I do… I knew yesterday… and I think I knew all along… but those words that came out of your mouth… your heart… I can't think anymore."

She let the whisper die out of her lungs and then, seeing her so weak and lost, Naoki found the overwhelming urge inside of him growing larger. Without thinking about what he was going to do, he leaned in closer, pulling her body towards him, lowering his lips onto hers. The seconds passed quickly in torture for Katara, the absence of Zuko's warmth inside that kiss causing her to lose her vision. Naoki cherished it though, as much as she loathed feeling his cracked lips over hers. He took in the sweetness of her bitter tears and he breathed in the reality of the dream he had longed to have for so many countless nights. Then, the thought of Zuko sleeping innocently in the barn behind them gave Katara the strength to push him away from her, away from the sinful kiss they had just shared.

Naoki caught his breath as Katara brushed her mouth with the back of her hand. He winced as he saw the hatred gleaming in her eyes, the cool blue fading into the raging pitiless fire that shined in her true lover's blood. She shook her head in disgust and then sobbed lightly.

"I can never forget what you have just done. I can no longer look at you and think that you're a sweet man who helped me from the sincerity of his heart. Looking at you, I feel the illness inside me swell and there's nothing you can say that will change that!"

Immediately, she turned and ran towards the distant forest, away from the acknowledgement of pain that had been created with that kiss. Katara ran, each step punching her feet into the deep grass, hoping to rid herself of the stain of betrayal.

"Katara! Wait! Please… wait…"

He ran a few steps, but Naoki knew that he had condemned himself to a life of even deeper anguish than before. Her shimmering green robe grew smaller within seconds, her speed unimaginable yet understandable. Suddenly, just as he turned around, he saw Zuko emerge from the barn, his hair twisting in each direction. Naoki looked down, unable to meet his guest's eyes.

"What was all of that shouting about? Was that Katara? Where did she go?"

Naoki felt the tears explode in his throat, making it impossible to respond. Zuko turned his head towards the forest and saw the brief outline of a girl with a single braid that tossed to each side as she ran. He knew without a second thought that it was Katara and immediately he turned towards Naoki and clenched his jaw, his fists lighting themselves on fire.

"What did you do to her? What- no… I'm not even going to look at you! Just know that whatever it was, you're going to wish you had never done it!"

Zuko dashed away quickly and Naoki gazed after him for a few moments before looking away. He punched the wall of the barn with all of his strength and then let out a frustrated cry that wailed from the depths of his despair. Not only had he ruined the miserable life he had led before, but now there wasn't even a speck worth mentioning it, because every time he would see Katara, he would see not the pain inside himself, but within her.

"Why do I have to be cursed like this? Why…"

..:-:..

Katara had no sense of time. She let the wings inside of her spread so that they carried her as far as she could go. The distant cries wailing from the depths of Zuko's chest never reached her ears, and she kept running, her legs pummeling forward, away from the misery that had been caused. Each breath she took was that of pain so grand that she thought someone was pulling the air out of her lungs with a chain, hoping to plug the hole in which all words escaped. As she brushed away the scratchy foliage, as she stepped into the maze of trees circling around her, she lost herself in the emotions revolving in the tense hot air.

When she could no longer push her muscles to make another stride, she closed her eyes fiercely, shutting out the images of shining green nature, which bred in beautiful bounty. Katara placed her hands on her knees and then gradually slowed down the pace of her breathing. Her whimper guided her to a standstill, not letting the complex thoughts of agony constrict inside of her face. Everything was peaceful, silent and pure. She took a deep breath of air, filling her body with the essence of the meaning of life.

Zuko marched through the maze as quickly as a lemur flies towards a cherry pie. The pounding of his heart against the caged prison of his chest caressed him into desperation.

"Ka-ta-_ra_! Ka-_ta_-ra!"

The sweet slipping syllables echoed into the forest like a dull anvil. He had no clue whether or not Naoki had hurt her, but no matter what the case was, something crucial had happened, and Zuko would stop at nothing until he found her. He turned each corner, looked through each bush, into the mingling landscape of never-ending density of the forest. Suddenly, his eyes widened and his heart stopped as something flickered in the distance. His legs bolted from his spot and he jumped over every rock and plant without even looking down. He didn't move his eyes away from her, because if he did, Zuko knew that he might never see her again. Something had crawled into his mind and began to nag him like a hungry child that is taunted with no dinner.

"Katara!"

She spun around immediately, recognizing the voice as the crisp harsh tone of Zuko's growl. Her face stretched, her tense arms fell to her sides and she became limp at the sight of him running towards her.

"Zu-ko!"

A slight smile erupted on her lips, but as soon as it came, the clarity of her happiness vanished into the underbrush. Zuko's jaw dropped as Katara became lost from his vision.

"No… _no!_"

He ran all the way until he knew he was in the spot where she had been standing. No one was there. All that remained were the small footprints of a lost and crumpled soul, trying desperately to cling onto the hope that her savior had finally come to her rescue. Zuko fell to his knees and gripped the shreds of earth within his finger's grasp. The heat rushed and pulsed within himself, and before he knew it, he had burned the ground beneath him in two symmetrical circles. Tears shed down his face and onto the crisp earth, mingling the sorrow and the hatred to make the desperate cry of longing.

"I was so close… _Katara_… what's going on? I promise… that I won't stop until I find you…"

..:-:..

The hollow darkness surrounded Katara as the earth swallowed her inside of itself. Her breath tore away from her body and she grasped onto the shaking motion of the soiled walls. Suddenly, it was all over and she stumbled away from the shaking sensation of her whole body moving faster than she wanted it to. Katara squinted her eyes, thinking that she saw a glimmer of light in the near distance. Once her eyes adjusted, she realized it was a lantern, a familiar looking one, and then she made sense of what had just happened. When Jet's face came into her view, she broke out into a joyous grin.

"You have no idea how glad I am that it was you! I thought that maybe…"

"Fire Nation was kidnapping you? That's what I thought was going to happen, so I brought you down for safety reasons. I hope I didn't scare you too much with the surprise."

She let out a sigh of relief, and then waved her hand carelessly, as if she hadn't just almost died of fright.

"It's okay… but wait a minute! Zuko! He must be worried about me, can't you bring him down here too?"

Jet winced and then shook his head as he put a piece of straw in his mouth.

"I'm sorry Katara, but I actually needed to talk to you, just you."

She backed away slightly, her smile fading at the reoccurring sensation that something similar would happen, just like it had with Naoki.

"I need to ask you a favor."

Katara's hesitation subsided and she nodded her head.

"Sure! Oh… actually…"

She had just remembered what Zuko told her.

"I'm sorry, but what we did yesterday was a one time thing. I hope that doesn't make the situation worse for you, that I'm not going to help…"

Jet hung his head and then looked up at her with understanding.

"It's all right. If you can't help us against the Fire Nation, then that's your choice and I will not ask anything more from you. Thanks for thinking about it though… I should get you back up now, shouldn't I?"

Katara began to feel a guilty conscious grow inside her, despite the dangerous terms she would be dealing with and the warning Zuko had given her. Just as Jet was about to push his arms forward, she pushed her arm out and cried to him.

"Wait! I think I could help… just a little bit…"

Jet smirked and then folded his arms.

"I know what you're doing Katara. You're endangering yourself because you feel the need to help out anyone when you can, right?"

She nodded her head slowly, her eyes gleaming inside of the dimly lit underground cave.

"You said that you couldn't do it and I won't let you go back on your word."

"But-"

"That's enough now! Go back to Zuko, he's waiting."

..:-:..

The dark sinister smirk glowered on her pale face as she scanned the warm condensed ground beneath her fingertips. Her black hair dangled from her head as she lowered her eyes to the level of each grain of soil. Two guards stood behind her, erect and ready to obey any sort of command that she asked of them. Azula stood up, pushing her weight off of the trembling ground.

"Stand back."

Her easiness in the sudden vibrations beneath her alarmed the guards. They knew what this meant. Something was going to change in their efforts, what it was they still needed to discover. Azula's amber eyes fixed onto the spot where she had just brushed her trademark symbol of glory. She always found her prey, no matter what, no matter how long it took, and this might have just been the moment she had agonized after for so long.

Underneath the earth, Jet smiled to himself.

"She's a good person. I hope that she and Zuko get themselves out of trouble before it's too late though…"

He was going to turn around when he suddenly felt strong vibrations forming above his head. It could have been Zuko, but he wasn't assured. Jet shrugged his shoulders after a few seconds of stillness and then he walked away.

Katara had moved upwards a bit too soon after her trip under the ground. When the sunlight hit her eyes, she wasn't quite sure who was standing in front of her. But when she felt the bolts of cold sharp fingers grab her arms, her vision came back to her with more clarity than before. She gasped as the resemblance struck her with an invisible force. Behind the woman's shoulders, she saw two guards ready to attack if necessary.

Her voice slithered into her ear and caused Katara to shiver in fear.

"Looks like I've found myself some bait."

* * *

**A/N:** I took bits and pieces of free time this week to write this chapter :) I hope it turned out okay, and not too confusing… I hope! I'm always trying to improve :P Not too much happened, but then again, it did lol I don't know what to say anymore… oh yeah! I got a request to make Jet more normal and NICE and not a bad guy, so that's exactly what I did! Lol Because, this fic is of course with the characters personalities flipped around right? Thanks for reading! Hope you're having a nice day wherever you are:D

-Monika-


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The leaves of the branches up above fluttered as a bird flew by. Even nature was against this vindictive and punishing act, but for the time being, Katara was counting each second that she was able to live. The burning skin of her enemy's fingers smothered her mouth and as she struggled to run away, Azula's grip became stronger yet. The two guards stood watching, not uttering a single word. Suddenly Katara realized that it was no use to waste her energy. A small chuckle erupted from Azula's throat and she sighed.

"So you finally understand that you can't do anything about this situation. It's a good thing you stopped struggling, because I can't stand prey that has ambition. All right, let's go."

They moved swiftly through the foliage, not letting a brush of fire touch the leaves, fearing that there could be someone who would be able to track their location. Katara walked along obediently, thinking about the day's events and how everything was going wrong. She wished for a moment that she hadn't been so foolish as to run away blindly, without thinking at all about Zuko. Her eyes widened sadly as she saw the grass bend beneath her feet as she moved along. Zuko would most likely be savaging the forest in search of her, and little did he know that she had fallen into his sister's trap. She bit back tears and reminded herself that she needed to stay strong internally, the place where Azula couldn't hurt her. Katara didn't keep track of the time or what direction they were headed. Instead, she anguished over the loss of the person she loved, because she knew that if Azula wanted something, she would make sure that everything was taken care of.

"We're here. Why don't you lift your head up, pest? You should enjoy the revolting view before we go underground."

Azula's voice drifted sardonically through the air and she let the guards take over her role as Katara's attendant. When Katara lifted her head, her eyes went ablaze at the shocking revelation that stirred within her body. The image of the machine she had once seen before was now up close, in front of her face, so that it engulfed her in the magnificent torture it emitted. Her pulse quickened as Azula pushed a button on its side; a silent cry barely reached her ears and Katara winced as a round sheet of glistening metal flew through the air above her. Even though the cry was so minute, from the close proximity, it pierced her ears and she struggled to pull her tied hands to her ears. Unable to do that, Katara fell to the ground and bowed her head to it. She grinded her teeth and began to weep as the uncontrollable pain split through her head. Azula watched enthusiastically, almost leaping at Katara's feet to get a closer look at the torture she was enduring.

"This is working just as I imagined it would! It's most spectacular and the craftsmanship is most commendable, wouldn't you say so?"

She laughed haughtily, letting her left arm fall limply to her side while she turned the machine off. Its roundness began to shrink and to Katara's horror, the blasting pain in her veins subsided. She looked up and watched the machine shrivel into a small ball in Azula's hand. Katara shook her head and Azula smirked.

"What… what is that?"

"Don't speak when not spoken to!" Azula roared angrily.

She sent a line of fire towards Katara's shoulder and she bowed underneath the pressure. A short cry exploded from her chest, but Katara bit her lip and closed her eyes, swallowing the saliva in her mouth so that it wouldn't be sick and dry anymore. Azula's fingers lifted Katara's chin and her face was a few inches away. Their eyes met and Katara saw for the first time how malicious a pair of amber eyes could be.

"Even though you have been an ungrateful brat, I will answer your question."

She stood up and the guards pulled Katara off of the ground. Katara swayed a bit and then stabilized herself so that she didn't give off such a weak expression of inferiority. After all, she was royalty as well.

"This in my hand is the key to finally destroying the town in which I was born in. The town I've despised since I was able to recognize its presence in dampening my life… It seems that you have questions in your eyes. Don't worry pest, you'll know everything that's going to happen soon enough. Guards. Get ready."

Katara turned her head left and right, looking for any sign of ambush, but there was none. She looked back at Azula and let her jaw drop as she saw a stick protrude from the ground. Her black hair dangled in the air as she jumped and then pushed the stick back into the ground with her foot. The familiar sensation of the ground giving away from beneath her shook Katara just slightly. In just a few moments, her eyes glimpsed the bright sunlight and she tasted the crisp fresh air for what seemed like the last time. As quickly as they had come, they had disappeared and the clearing seemed to be empty of any inhabiting creatures.

..::-::..

Zuko punched the tree next to him as he leaned against it. His breaths climbed in and out of his chest as if searching within himself for any trace of Katara. Her image flashed inside of his closed eyes and he gritted his teeth, letting the pain fade into the flames he conjured in his palms. He clenched his fists and then turned away from the tree, piercing his gaze through the massive size of the forest. She was the only thing he had, and if he lost her because of some jerk, he would never be able to forgive himself. He had seen her in those last moments, and then she had disappeared. His words hadn't even reached her ears. How could she know that he depended on her smile to make his heart feel warm? Would she ever know that his fire was embedded in her heart? Zuko darted his eyes open and stared up at the darkening sky. The sun had made its way towards the resting place and soon the dark night would scatter around him, and his worst fear would be realized. Finding someone during the sleeping moments of the forest was like trying to find someone in the Fire Nation. No one knew where any one else was; the only thing that would help was a messenger hawk.

"Where are you Katara? I need to find her… I need to or else…"

A growing darkness was growing in the back of his mind, and the frightening feeling of dread was beginning to overwhelm his thoughts. Any insane person could be living in the forest and something could have happened to her. Zuko shook his head and scratched it, letting his hand glide back and forth through his mane of hair. He took a deep breath of air and pounded the ground with his foot. She could be somewhere trapped underneath the earth, a captive to the damn double-crossing society, but as the logic settled into his mind, Zuko knew that it wasn't possible. Whoever had taken Katara underneath wasn't someone who he was on friendly terms with.

He stretched his legs and then leapt away from his resting place, into the still, silent forest. Branches, bushes and every kind of plant imaginable swept his view, but nothing moved except for himself. Katara was nowhere and with each step, he dug his anger more and more into the soft earth. He turned his head to each side in a frantic search for her, but nothing was helping him. Zuko had lost himself among the secretive trees, and the last remaining hopes were dashing away with the time he was spending on his search. His lungs couldn't expand any more and he had to stop. His feet slowed to a halt and then he hung his head for a few minutes, letting his body catch up to his mind. Zuko took one last step and then looked up.

"What… what is…"

His eyes widened and Zuko spread his arms out in shock. The glistening pool of water was perfectly centered within a crisp green clearing of grass. Its water shined brilliantly, almost blinding Zuko with its magnificence. What made his jaw drop even more was the gate that stood solidly above the pond. His eyes pinpointed the Earth Kingdom symbol in the middle of the arch, and the thoughts circling in his head came to a definite conclusion. Zuko slowly approached the water, and then gazed down into it. There were no fish swimming in this pond, but the longer he observed it, he realized that there was in fact a fish deep within the waters, resting.

His eyes focused on the red-scaled fish and he saw its whiskers twitch as its eyes met Zuko's. He took a sharp breath inside of his body, but did not recoil his stare. After a few moments of stillness, Zuko looked away and muttered to himself.

"That was pointless. It can't be the same kind of pond that was up at the North Pole."

He sat down nevertheless and let himself become absorbed by the bristle of grass underneath his fingers. There was something about the air around him that was making him more peaceful and at rest as time passed on. He closed his eyes as he let his back fall to the ground. The soft clouds spread through the air in the deep lavender sky. The sun was about to set and he had made no discovery of Katara's whereabouts. Suddenly, a lump formed in his throat. He stiffened his jaw and slammed his fist on the ground so that the tears forming in his eyes wouldn't fall onto his cheeks. Men didn't cry, and he was going to be a man through this ordeal.

"Why… why can't I find her? What am I going to do?"

His desperate plea was caught on the wind and it was carried towards the gate, flowing through the air and into the placid water that dwelled in the pond. Zuko sat up and then opened his eyes, only to see that the water was glowing. He quickly stood up and looked at the light in awe. It began to crawl out of the water and into the grass in one straight line. To his horror, the light was inching towards his feet, and without a second thought, his vision was blinded by an array of dazzling white darkness.

..::-::..

Katara began to choke on the dry burned air around her. The suffocating presence of spoiled dirt caused her to lose the will to live on. The dimming shadows that surrounded her vision were now her only friends. She became submerged underneath the pressure to adapt to her new surroundings, and then she couldn't feel her chest expand. Katara closed her eyes and fell limply into one of the guards. Azula turned around swiftly and squinted towards Katara's unconscious form. She kicked the earth beneath her and smiled cynically.

"It's such a pity that the earth can be so easily manipulated, just like its people."

She turned around and then looked towards a distant shining door.

"Take her to the room and set her in the modified chamber. No one is going to figure out where she is. No one is going to find out anything."

They reached the room and suddenly a consecutive array of fire-lit torches sprang to life on the sides of the walls. Their light bounced off the shinning metal that lined the room and into Azula's burning eyes. Katara was put into the chamber and the see through walls stood in the middle of the bare room like a shield, protecting everything inside of it. Azula stood in front of the locked door, and the guards left. The main door closed with a loud thud, jerking Katara from her sudden lapse into darkness. She rubbed her eyes quickly and then darted from side to side, her hair swaying with her head. Her eyes came to rest on Azula's firm face and crossed arms. She was standing lopsided and finally her lips twitched to form a smirk. Katara sat back into a relaxed position and took a deep breath before furrowing her eyebrows.

"Surprised?" Azula asked mockingly.

"No."

"You shouldn't be. Don't expect that anyone is going to find you here. No one knows about this except for me. So the chances that you are going to escape are non existent at the moment."

Katara's eyes widened just slightly as a thought occurred to her. She had seen her before with Naoki and that meant that Azula was wrong. There was a chance that she could be found, but she felt her heart swell and then depress as she realized she had gotten angry with Naoki and stormed off. He wouldn't know why she disappeared, or that Azula was behind the kidnapping.

"You're right." Katara's eyes fell to the ground and her arms rested comfortably about her frame. "No one is going to find me."

She looked up then, and directly focused on Azula.

"So at least tell me what this place is, and what I'm doing here."

Azula's arm flung backwards and her head jerked forwards. Her straight teeth snarled at Katara from outside the chamber and her bangs swayed back and forth for a few seconds. She pointed at Katara's heart and yelled at the top of her lungs.

"You have no right to speak that way towards me! You should be grateful that I didn't have you killed the moment you fell into my arms, and instead you want answers! How dare you?"

Her hands reached quickly underneath her short cape and she retrieved the small ball she had held earlier. Katara's jaw dropped and she back up straight on her chair, alert and cautious.

"Oh… sorry! No, please don't hurt me again! I promise to behave from now on!"

Azula's breathing came back to normal and her chest rose immensely for the last time. She was still again and then her eyes dropped to the silver ball.

"You wanted answers… I guess I could tell you. It's not like anyone is going to come here, like I've stated before. All right."

She paced back and forth slowly, gathering her thoughts. Katara's eyes wandered around the room, not observing anything significant. There was nothing in the room except for the chamber she was sitting in. Her eyebrows rose each time she wondered about the purpose of a chamber such as the one she was in. Suddenly, Azula faced Katara again, and she sighed.

"I've been here for more than a year. How? Because of this very room. I've developed a material that kills the earth."

Katara's hands grasped each other and her fingers slid on her legs. She shook her head slightly and let a whispered cry flow from her open mouth. Azula saw her lips move, but she continued without commenting. Her eyes became small slits and she lifted her chin to look at her prisoner.

"It spreads through the soil and anyone who doesn't have Fire Nation blood will suffocate when inhaling its scent."

Katara's eyes blinked a few times as she tried to hide the tears that wanted to desperately fall from her heart. As she looked into Azula's cruel pale face, she began to feel the utmost desire to break free of her imprisonment and kill the person who stood before her.

"You seem… sad. You really shouldn't be. You deserve to fall victim to my plan. I have grown up as a tainted person because of the place of my birth! Anyone who is associated with it deserves to suffer pain because of the pain that has been bestowed upon me."

Her nostrils flared and she had to take a moment to calm down once more.

"That's right. My mother was visiting this filthy place and she suddenly gave birth to me. Healers said that I was born prematurely because of the rich soil extracts in the environment. My mother was more than healthy and this clean air prompted my birth."

"Since the moment I opened my eyes, I could see that something was wrong with me. My training had begun and for some reason, my fire was… passive. Like these damn candles, my fire burned with no ferocity, and that was all due to the unnatural place of my birth."

The two women didn't take their eyes off of each other and finally, after the silence settled into the dust on the floor, she spoke again, this time clearer and quieter than before.

"The need for revenge grew within me, and I promised myself I would avenge my failure of a life. So I've begun killing the earth from this place I now call home. No earthbender will come anywhere near. They will notice something is wrong, and right away they will run in the other direction. In just a matter of time, this town will suffer the consequences of oppressing me from my rights as a firebender!"

Katara looked down into her lap and stroked her left arm with her right hand, causing a bit of heat to crawl towards her shoulder. Azula had said that no earthbender would come near this place, but what about another firebender?

..::-::..

Zuko stirred, his whole body aching. He felt prickling in his legs and knots inside his arms. All he could do was open his eyes. When he managed to adjust his vision to the bright light around him, he realized that he was beginning to regain feeling in his hands. He scrunched up his face as he felt the slippery cold droplets of water form on his fingers. In a sudden moment, the pain was gone and he sat upright. His jaw dropped as the swirling clouds hovered around him for miles. Zuko began to stand when suddenly, from the foggy clouds formed a tall man covered in magnificent dark red robes. His face was lined with many wrinkles and his eyes sagged with old age, but the sparkle of happiness radiated in his eyes, his age becoming a vague determination of the past. Zuko fell to his knees onto the soft clouds underneath him and he immediately bowed his head so that his hair mixed with the crystals of water in the feather like wisps of air.

"Zuko… I have waited a long time for this meeting."

He didn't want to lift his head up, and he didn't know what to say. Zuko was completely dumbstruck.

"It's all right, you are allowed to speak with me."

Zuko finally lifted his body from the bowed position and stood up slowly, averting his gaze from the man's face. When he raised his eyes, he knew without a doubt that it was really him.

"Avatar Roku, it is my humble honor to be before you now."

"There's no need for formality Zuko. I must speak to you urgently, and that is why I summoned you here."

Zuko gaped at him and then pointed at himself timidly.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. As you have found, there is a spirit oasis within the magnificent forest you have lost yourself within. I was the one who created it."

Zuko nodded and closed his mouth, reminded himself of his manners. It was still hard to believe that he was speaking with a deceased Avatar, but he continued to listen intently.

"As the Avatar, I had a duty to create balance in the world. When I came to this place, it was filled with rotten earth because of a shameful burning that had occurred. I restored the surroundings to their rightful beauty and purity, and even more than they were originally. It became a spiritual place, and more than just this pond. Anyone who lived here would live a life full of prosperity and good health."

"That is why I need your help. Someone is destroying that balance and killing the earth and its purity. This person you are most likely familiar with Zuko. It is your cousin."

Zuko's eyes widened and he took a step back.

"What? She's here?"

"Yes, unfortunately. It is also my grief that I must inform you that she has taken Katara of the Northern Water Tribe as a hostage."

Zuko clenched his fists and snarled. The heat in his body became overwhelming, but no fire erupted from his fists. His chest rose and fell rapidly and then Zuko fell to his knees.

"Where is she? How can I find her?"

Avatar Roku smiled fondly and nodded his head as he clasped his hands together. Suddenly, Zuko fell through the clouds and his arms rose above him hurriedly. There was nothing to cling onto, but then his body shook as something caught him. He looked down and saw that he was sitting comfortably on a large dragon. Avatar Roku was in front of him, leading the way. Zuko gazed below him and saw the small pond where his body laid in a disfigured way. He flinched and looked ahead at the vast expanse of trees. The pond was relatively far away from the start of the forest, and they didn't have to fly far to reach the end of its empire.

Zuko's face went inward as the devastation came before his eyes. Just before the last line of trees was a misshapen clearing. Dozens of trees were withering and most had dried up and fallen to the ground. The fading sunlight crept close to the ground in the clearing, but it didn't reach it. Shadows lurked and death was instilled in the air.

"Is that it?"

Avatar Roku nodded gravely and sighed.

"Azula has made an underground camp and there is a room where at the moment she is located with Katara. You must find a way there and stop her from destroying this land. Her vengeance is terrifyingly great, but only you can reach her. It is getting late. We must return."

In a hurried rush, the dragon turned around and flew straight into the pond like a dagger. Zuko was pulled back but he held on and then held his breath as he dived into the water. As that happened, he instantly woke up and lifted his head. His body weighed more than he remembered, and the disfigurement in his arms and legs wasn't helping. Zuko finally stood up and then found the fish in the water. He bowed and then rushed away towards the dead clearing. As he did, the wind carried his grateful whisper.

"Thank you."

..::-::..

Azula tapped her foot, waiting for any sign of emotion from Katara's face to penetrate the walls of the barrier between the two of them. When no response came, Azula lashed out a bolt of the fire onto the glass surrounding Katara. The fire vanished, but the glass glowed the heat in it. Katara sat back a bit and then stood up.

"Why aren't you afraid? Don't you care at all what's going to happen to you?"

"Would you like me to answer that truthfully and bluntly? Or would you like me to sit quietly and watch you?" Katara asked politely.

"What? Just answer me!"

Katara sighed and then folded her arms.

"I'm not afraid because you obviously do think someone will be able to rescue me. Why else would you take me as a hostage and then say that no one will find me? It doesn't make sense. So obviously, someone is going to come get me, that's what you knew all along, and that is why I'm not afraid."

Azula's face faded into a deep shade of white. She took the ball into her hands and then held it up in front of the glass so that it was as close as possible to Katara's face.

"What about now? Are you afraid of unimaginable pain tearing away at your heart?"

Suddenly Katara retreated as far back as she could, regretting immensely that she had audacity to face Azula as any other person. She wasn't a person she could talk to open-mindedly. Katara had to lie and pretend to be a peasant, someone she was controlling, that was the only way she would get out of this place, unless Zuko miraculously found her first. She fell to her knees and then bowed her head.

"Yes, I am afraid."

Azula smirked, and flipped her hair out of her face. Her hand cradled the ball carefully as if it was going to run away from her, all of that raw power just gone. Suddenly, the door to the chamber opened and Azula walked in. Katara gasped as the dead air reached her lungs and then she felt Azula grab her into the room. The pain seized her lungs and she could barely breathe. Each second, her body seemed to cry out as her insides wilted. Her eyes began to blink away the tears forming in the contact with irritated air. Her eyes closed as she coughed and the last thing she saw was the glimmer of the cursed ball Azula held in her hands.

..::-::..

Zuko rushed through the maze of trees with a renewed spirit. He knew where Katara was, and now he could save her. His cousin wasn't as strong as he was, but she was ruthless nevertheless. He knew that whatever Azula intended to do with Katara, it wouldn't be anything remotely humane. Ever since he knew her, she didn't think like a normal human. She always found amusement in things she could destroy, especially with her firebending. With the boost of energy, Zuko leapt across piles of branches and muddy parts of the forest. Each step he took, he knew that he would be able to find Katara and tell her that he couldn't live his life without her.

Just as he was about to reach the clearing, he came to an abrupt halt and stood flabbergasted as he saw a familiar figure stand up. His tall body stood hunched over, as if he had been ensued in a battle for his life.

"Naoki?"

"Yeah, it's me. I was waiting for you."

Zuko suddenly remembered why it was that Katara had run into the forest in the first place. He furrowed his eyes and tightened his jaw. Zuko lifted a finger and pointed at him accusingly.

"Get out of the way. I need to save Katara. She's in danger because of you, so get out of my way!"

Zuko began to walk towards him, but Naoki didn't move a single inch.

"I know… it's all my fault."

Naoki looked away and Zuko saw the agony in his face. His mouth drooped into the worst frown he had ever seen. Naoki's body was twisted and deformed, making his appearance resemble that of someone who recently had the life pulled out of them.

"I tried to get to her, but I can't step into the clearing. There's something fighting me back, and I don't know what it is."

Zuko stopped and stood next to him, still looking straight towards the clearing and the black earth.

"How did you know to look here?"

"Katara and I found this place one day… and I saw a woman with two guards. I thought she might have taken Katara… she might have seen us looking at her, even though at the time she didn't do anything about it."

Zuko took a deep breath and looked down at his feet, at the ground and thought that he could feel Katara's presence nearby. His voice became quiet and desperate.

"Do you know how to get underneath to where they are?"

"I'm not sure, but I think there's a way."

Naoki turned around towards Zuko and looked at his face, where his scar glowed in the moonlight, recounting all of the suffering Zuko had encountered before. He then looked towards the clearing and squinted his eyes. Zuko followed his raised arm and looked at the middle of the clearing.

"I think there's something in the center that makes the earth open and a passageway form. I can barely sense it though."

Zuko nodded and began to slowly walk forwards. His feet shifted apprehensively, but he felt no outside force pushing him back. Naoki watched his figure creep into the clearing as if he was in charge of the earth around him. His eyes fell and he sighed bitterly. Zuko was more of a man than him in many ways, and he knew that he could never measure up to his standards.

Zuko found himself in the center of the destruction and then looked down at the ground. He could barely see, but in the ground was a small circular shaft sticking up about an inch. Naoki saw him turn towards him and nod.

"I found it."

"Go ahead. I'll wait here for you and Katara."

Zuko nodded, seeing Naoki's eyes shrink from his view. For the first time, Zuko considered his side of the situation. Although he was an earthbender, he couldn't go towards the earth he held dear. Only Zuko knew why, but he didn't want to tell him yet, and spare him the terrible news. He looked back at the ground and thought about how to activate the lever, or whatever the shaft was. The first thing that occurred to him was to stomp down on it. As soon as his heel hit the metal, he heard a click and the shaft went into the ground. Everything around him shook, and he couldn't figure out what was happening.

As soon as it had happened, the rumbling stopped and Zuko saw an opening in the earth. He sent a beam of fire down the larger shaft and saw stairs leading down towards into the darkness. Zuko took a deep breath and started to climb down. Naoki saw his head disappear and then he sighed.

"Bring her back Zuko."

He hadn't heard Naoki's whisper, but the fact was that he could hear nothing at all. Zuko couldn't see anything, except for the small radius surrounding his flame. By the time he had finally reached the bottom of the staircase, the moonlight had vanished completely, and he had only one option; Zuko needed to go straight onwards, not knowing what was in store for him.

As Zuko approached the seemingly never-ending hall, he realized that there was definitely something wrong with the ground around him. Unlike the Society's underground meeting place, these walls were crumbling and filled with dirt that didn't have a smell to it. His nostrils occasionally were filled with the dryness he had felt while living in the Fire Nation, but other than that, the place seemed to be lifeless. These thoughts were filling his mind, and soon Zuko lost his concentration. Out of nowhere, two spears leapt forwards and in a split second, Zuko averted a collision. His flame got stronger and was now glowing in both of his hands. Two Fire Nation guards were standing before him, ready to attack and possibly kill him.

"I'm sorry, but I have to knock you out right now."

The guards looked at each other curiously, and then suddenly Zuko's fiery foot came flying towards their faces. They backed away instantly, and then their eyes widened as Zuko's fists came flaming towards their jaws. With the echo of metal banging against each other, the two guards fell to the ground by each other and began to groan. The moaning deceased and Zuko let his arms fall to his sides. He shook his hair out of his face and then raced past the fallen guards. If there were only two guards there to apprehend him, then that must have meant that Katara was nearby.

Suddenly, as Zuko rushed hurriedly through the halls, he saw a door on the right. He wasn't exactly sure it looked like a door, but he stopped to observe it. There was no hatch or handle to open it, but it had the definite frame of a door. Then, as if it had pierced through the wall, he heard an agonized scream of pain. His eyes widened and the fury began to rage within his heart. It was Katara, and she was being tortured.

He burst through the door, knocking it down with a blazing kick. His eyes widened as he saw Katara at the floor, crawled up and clutching her chest. Azula stood above her with a cruel grin and holding a silver ball in her hand. She heard the crash of the door falling onto the metal floor and then she spun her head around to see her cousin standing in front of her with the rage of a tornado on his face. Katara's cries filled his ears and he roared at Azula.

"What are you doing to her? Stop it now!"

Hesitantly, Azula dropped her arm and pushed a button on the ball. Zuko pushed his fist forward and Azula pulled away from the attack. The heat swelled before her face and then disappeared into a cloud of gray smoke. She grinded her teeth and then watched amusingly as Zuko rushed to Katara, who was now simply trying to regain her breath. Her eyes fluttered constantly as she gripped onto Zuko's arms. He pushed the hair out of her face and looked at her, his face tight and worried in the lines on his forehead.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I'll be… fine…"

Suddenly, her head tilted to the side and she closed her mouth silently. Zuko's heart skipped a beat as he gently shook her by the shoulders.

"Katara? Wake up! Come on…"

"Don't worry, she's not dead," Azula said with a triviality that deemed her inhuman.

He laid her down carefully and then stood up facing Azula. His nostrils flared as he turned on his cousin.

"What is that thing? And what did it do to her?"

Azula inched away from Zuko slowly, her amber eyes sparkling with an idea.

"It's just my newest invention for my revenge. This place is the reason why I'm not as powerful as a Fire Lord's daughter should be. You know that, don't you? So then why don't you take her and leave me to my own plans. I was getting bored with her anyways."

Zuko couldn't handle the anger inside of him anymore. He dashed forwards screaming and letting his fire engulf the walls and torches around him in a dazzling roar of fury. Azula widened her eyes, and then dropped the ball. As soon as it landed on the floor, it started to expand and Zuko stopped in his tracks. It kept growing until it was as tall as the room itself, and almost half of its width. The ball had taken the shape of a military tank and long sheets of metal stuck out of its side precisely, its ridges sharp as the deadliest sword could be.

"Thought you had the upper hand Zuko? Think again."

Azula was about to reach for the tank, when suddenly Katara stirred and used all of her strength to warn Zuko.

"Destroy it… before it destroys us."

Zuko heard her desperate plea and used it as his last amount of energy to push forward. Just as Azula's hands were going to activate the machine and its screeching weaponry, Zuko collected himself and his power, took the fire within him, and expelled it out in an unleashing blue flamed circle. Azula raised her arms in front of her face and stepped back as the attack engulfed the metal. Pops and sparks flew from the machine, getting itself ready for an explosion. Zuko was astounded at the power of his attack, and immediately knew he had to run. He turned around and reached Katara. Her body was cradled in his arms and he ran as fast as he could out into the dark hall. Zuko made it past the fallen guards when he heard more crashes and small booms echo from behind him. He gritted his teeth and ran faster, using his muscles to their last extent.

Relief flooded his heart as he saw a small amount of dim white light come from the opening in the ground above him. Katara coughed to herself, but he didn't hear it because the echoes under the ground were now shaking it and making Zuko's footing unstable. He needed to reach the open clearing before it was too late. When Zuko rushed out into the open night, he knew that he needed help.

"Naoki!"

He was still sitting there, at the edge of the clearing, waiting patiently. His face glowed when he saw that Katara was in Zuko's arms, safe and unharmed. He stood up and then felt a prickle in his feet. His eyes widened as Zuko slowly came towards him.

"Zuko! Get away from there! It's going to explode!"

Katara gripped onto Zuko's shoulders a bit more tightly and then Zuko realized his error. The heat reached him before the fire did. A last boom echoed underneath him and Zuko lunged forward, propelling Katara away from the hole. A tower of fire blasted out of the ground and a deadly shadow of light came from behind Zuko. He rolled away as far as he could and then covered his head. Naoki flinched as he tried to run into the clearing, and was taken aback by the still overpowering force. The flaming rubble hurled down onto Zuko's body and he stifled his cry as each hit caused searing pain to shoot through his bruised body.

As the fire diminished and the ground stopped shaking, Zuko looked up and saw that Katara laid sprawled on the ground a few feet in front of him. Her arm was raised over her face and he couldn't see her eyes. Zuko crawled towards her, the whole way covered in blistering aches. When he finally reached her, he took her arm and pulled it off of her face. His eyes widened and his lips parted, quivering slightly. A clear stream of dark blood ran down her head, across her lips, and into the arid, frail ground.

* * *

**A/N:** An absuterdly long chapter, after an absurtedly long wait. (bows) I'm so sorry. Has any of you had to write a senior research paper? Well that's why I wasn't able to update… today I'm going to revise it and then it will be due and done!! I took pieces and bits of time this week to write this… most of it done today lol I hope it makes up for the lack of quality this fic has produced… I'm really sorry about that… I learned in Creative Writing class that if a story doesn't have a good plot then it won't be good… and I realized that half of this story didn't have a real plot, until now I guess… and that's why I must regrettably say that I plan to end it in the next chapter. Not many of you have been reading it anyways… and I guess that should tell me something.

For those of you who have been reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it. Even though I'm going to end this soon, I've thought up a Zutara story that should be ten thousand times better than this one… it will definitely be much longer and it will have a really good plot (at least I hope that's what you will think) so that's another thing that influenced my decision. I'm really excited for the new fic lol But I wouldn't just leave this one as it is, so that's why I must finish it!

If you could be so kind to recommend this story or any other of my zutara stories to your friends on here, that would be greatly appreciated as well… but there's no need for that if you don't want to. Just thought I'd ask :)

All right, that's it for now!! If I'm lucky, the last chapter should be up next weekend, if not, the one after that :) Thanks and have a great day!!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Zuko kneeled beside Katara as he cradled her injured head. He clenched his jaw as he wiped away the blood on her face so that a faint smear scratched her cheek. Zuko bit his lip tightly so that the tears in his eyes wouldn't fall down his face. Naoki stood solemnly, watching from a distance as the embers simmered around them in the lifeless field of ash.

"Katara… please be okay Katara…"

She stirred as Zuko gripped her body towards his chest. Naoki and Zuko both lifted their eyes at her murmur. Zuko rubbed his eyes as she fluttered hers open. The moonlight reflected in her blue crystal orbs and then she immediately winced and placed her hand to the right side of her head. Katara breathed sharply and then looked up at Zuko.

"You're all right… I can't believe it… I thought you were gone…"

Naoki swallowed hard and looked away. He couldn't do this to himself anymore, but suddenly, a spark of hope ignited in his heart. Katara sighed to herself and pushed away from Zuko with an apparent weakness.

"Where am I? And… who are you? Why are you holding me?"

Her eyes widened and she scrambled away from him. Zuko's mouth hung open in pure shock. His arms fell to his sides as he stood up warily. He shook his head and felt his heart shattering in his chest.

"Katara… don't you know who I am? It's me… Zuko…"

Her expression didn't change at all. Instead it became more dazed and confused. She shook her head slowly, but then a sudden smile appeared on her face as she bounded over to him and gave him a hug.

"Of course I know it's you silly. I'm so glad you came for me, Zuko."

Zuko's heart swelled as Naoki's took a final blow. Katara squeezed Zuko tightly and he managed to laugh despite the cruel trick she had played on him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and picked her up gently. Suddenly, she stopped embracing him and held her head.

"Oh, my head. It really _does_ hurt."

Zuko's eyes softened as he placed his hand over hers. She looked up at him and saw the moon shining up above them. He stood like a guardian angel protecting her. His whisper was a soft melodic harmony of medicine for her aching body.

"Don't worry. I'm going to get you back to safety, away from Azula."

Just as they walked out of the clearing, Katara spotted Naoki and gasped. Zuko looked from Naoki's ashamed face to Katara's shocked and angry one. He was somewhat confused until he remembered that Naoki was the reason why Katara had run away that morning. A sudden rage filled his body and Zuko lunged towards Naoki. He put his hand to his throat and pushed Naoki up against a tree. Naoki winced as Katara cried out.

"Stop Zuko! Don't hurt him!"

"Why shouldn't I? He hurt you! That's why we're all here right now, isn't that right?"

Katara gradually came up to him and put a hand on Zuko's shoulder. Naoki's tangled hair hung around his face as he struggled to breathe. The slits of his eyes glanced over to Katara who stood behind Zuko's frame. 

"Please Zuko."

Zuko grunted as he pushed even harder and then sighed as he let his hand drop. Naoki's neck was filled with dark shadows from the heat in Zuko's palm and fingers. Katara let a tear fall down her cheek as Zuko embraced her, turning his back from Naoki. He caressed her back and then whispered into her ear.

"Can you tell me what happened? I promise I won't get mad."

Katara sobbed silently into his chest and then looked up. She glanced at Naoki and said the truth, finally freeing herself of the emotional burden inside of her heart.

"He kissed me."

Zuko let go of Katara as she trembled by herself. The heat level raised in his body automatically and he turned to face Naoki who was looking everywhere but at him. Zuko let out a tormented scream and then shot a blot of fire towards the clearing. Naoki flinched, thinking it was aimed towards him, but he opened his eyes to see Zuko panting heavily. Zuko calmed down as Katara's sobs echoed around his head.

"I promised her that I wouldn't harm you, dirt bag."

Naoki cast his head down and then fell to his knees, bowing his head to the ground.

"I'm sorry Katara, Zuko. I know you might never forgive me, but I understand now that what I did was wrong. The two of you belong together, and I can't interfere in that. I was only being selfish." He looked up at Katara then, as her tears died away. "Please forget it happened. Be with Zuko so that you can forget what a horrible person I was."

The wind ruffled the leaves in the trees as the silence between the three of them grew. Katara looked away from Naoki and to Zuko, who stood totally numb. She stepped closer to him and rested her hand on his arm.

"Zuko… are you okay?"

He came out of his shock and looked at her pale face.

"Are _you_ all right?"

She nodded and hugged him fiercely. He looked past her shoulder to Naoki who was still bowing on the ground. The trees surrounded him like a prisoner, and Zuko felt the pain leave slightly. Zuko let go of her and then walked over to him.

"Get up."

Naoki obeyed and then hung his head and arms to his side.

"I won't forgive you for what you did, but we will try and forget that it happened." He turned to Katara and then took her hand. "Come on, let's go." Naoki started to follow them and then resisted, leaving the pair alone. He had caused enough trouble until then, and he was finally going to let his emotions go. Naoki turned towards the dead field and a strange awareness filled his heart. He slowly walked towards the edge and touched the ground with his fingertips. A chill filled his body and he backed away as he realized what happened in that clearing. He couldn't bend the earth, nor could he even touch it. This place had died right before his eyes, the earth he admired so much.

Suddenly, a hand poked out from the hole in the middle of the clearing where Zuko and Katara had come from. Naoki's eyes narrowed as he saw a familiar head of black hair, however it was burnt and a blistered face covered her golden eyes. Azula moaned as she struggled to raise herself onto the ground. She gasped for air until she finally saw Naoki's scornful face.

"Help me! You must…"

A blotch of blood coughed out of her mouth and she heaved as the ground became soaked underneath her face. Naoki knew at once she was the reason for the massacre of the forest. The sudden build of fury unleashed itself as he yelled in frustration. He clenched his fists and pushed them up in the air. Azula watched in horror as the earth surrounding the clearing rose around her like a barricade with no way out. All at once, the ground stopped as it towered over her fifteen or more feet in the air. Without even letting out an anguished cry, the ground fell in on top of her, creating a vast plane of flat earth. Naoki let out a deep breath as the relief swooned over his exhausted eyes. Azula was buried, and there was no doubt in his mind that she would no longer torture him and the sacred land where his heart was born.

..::-::..

The terrifying cry rippled through the air and into Zuko's ears. Katara's head was nestled in his chest as Zuko carried her through the forest. He winced but then let the worried feeling subdue itself as he looked at Katara's peaceful face. They had gone through so much in such a short time. The journey to the North Pole had been filled with amazing sights, but the beauty he had found in her was something that he had searched for so long. His lips curved in a smile as Katara's fingers clung to his clothes. She coughed slightly and then held onto her more firmly, not wanting to let her go.

Zuko gazed up through the dark shadows of the trees above him and smiled when he saw the full moon grazing up above him amid the millions of dazzling stars. For a moment, he thought he had seen a wisp of a cloud pass through the sky in the form of a dragon with an old man on it, and then he shook his head curiously. It had seemed so unreal to him that an Avatar had needed his help, but in the end, maybe it was just his imagination. With that thought, the cloud vanished and Zuko found himself at the edge of the forest, looking on towards the farm they had called "home" for some time.

Katara stirred slightly as Zuko rested her down on the patch of hay in the barn. He pushed aside the strand of hair that was in her face and leaned down to kiss her gently. As Zuko raised his head, he saw her sparkling eyes watching his every move. She smiled and sighed.

"I'm so happy that you're with me right now. I wouldn't want anyone else by my side."

She sat up slowly and then embraced him effortlessly. Zuko buried his head into her neck and hugged her tightly, not wanting to ever let go of her.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I thought for a moment that maybe you had changed your mind since we came here and…"

Katara jerked away from him and scowled her eyes at him accusingly.

"And what? Haven't we had this conversation before? I _don't_ like Naoki, and I think my reaction to his kiss would have proved that."

Zuko smirked and then scratched his chin.

"I guess you have a point. Running away from a little kiss _is_ a bit drastic."

Katara punched him with all of her strength on his shoulder and he only moved slightly. The energy she possessed was close to nothing. They laughed together and then Katara laid back down onto the hay. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Zuko?" she asked softly.

"Hm?"

"You'll always… be by my side… right?" A few yawns interrupted her question, and as soon as the last word faded from her lips, she fell asleep. Zuko only smiled and fawned over her, giving her one last goodnight kiss.

..::-::..

The morning sun awoke Katara first as it streamed into the barn and over her face. She rubbed her eyes and stretched out her arms and legs. To her left, Zuko slept at an awkward angle. Carefully, she nudged his side and he grunted, waving her away. He must have been exhausted from the night before, Katara admitted to herself. She shrugged and this time shook him more forcefully. Zuko, more awake now, opened his eyes and then sat up warily, his eyes drooping. He yawned and then Katara inched towards him.

"Zuko… what are we going to do?"

"What do you mean?" he asked questionably.

"Well… I'm not so sure we should still stay here."

He looked at her for a moment, studying her face intently. She was completely right, and he had thought along the same lines before. Zuko nodded and rubbed the back of his neck while looking out into the grassy green fields. They both stood up and looked at one another.

"I guess it's time to pack up then."

..::-::..

The So family was on its edge. During the night, a few guards from the inner city had come to their door once again, but this time for a warrant to search their property more thoroughly for any unsuspected criminals hiding out in their home or barn, without their knowledge. Since Naoki wasn't home at all that day, Sokka had pretended to be Emi's brother. The thought made them both uneasy, but as soon as the guards had left, finding nothing suspicious in their household, Sokka took Emi outside and told her how he felt about her. She was so taken with the fact that he liked her so much that she instantly let out her feelings for him as well. Their kiss was short though, because a muffled cry came from the kitchen.

Mrs. So was on rocking on the floor, sitting and holding a bundle of Naoki's clothing. Mr. So stood above her holding a letter; his face was tight and full of pale disappointment.

"Father? What is it?"

Emi walked over to him slowly as he handed her the letter. Her eyes scanned it unwillingly.

_"My dear family- _

_ I hope that you are all in fine health and that you find this letter without any trouble. Upon the arrival of our guests, I have had time to think about some things about my own life that I never understood. It is my duty as your son to help you out Father, and I have done that for seventeen years, and in less than a month, I will be become a grown man. It has been without your consent that I had joined a secret society. Their mission, as well as mine, is to protect this land from any outside influences that wish to harm it. _

_ After an incident that I wish to remain disclosed to myself alone, I have unfortunately decided that it is time I find out who I really am, and what my purpose in life is. I have made mistakes and misjudged the gravity in those errors. I need to find myself, and that is why I have decided to go on a journey. Perhaps I shall find what I seek. If in due time I find that, I will desperately return home. _

_ I love you all, Emi, Mother, Father. I wish sincerely that you didn't grieve over my absence. I am strong enough to take care of myself and I don't wish you to worry about me. This is goodbye until I become a better person, _

_ Your son, Naoki."_

Tears fell from Emi's eyes as Sokka put his hands on her shoulders. She turned around and buried her head in his chest and let the letter drop from her hands. Mrs. So let out another sob as Zuko and Katara rushed into the room. Every head turned towards them, and the crying instantly stopped. For a mere second, the hope that her son returned came into her heart, but seeing their guests made Mrs. So somber and discreet about her emotions. Zuko narrowed his eyes and asked them boldly,

"What happened?"

Mr. So sighed and looked at the man in front of him sadly.

"My son has left to go on a journey to become a true man."

Katara's eyes widened and then she dropped her gaze to the floor. She rubbed her arm and then looked away. They all looked saddened instead of angry, which most likely meant that no one knew the real reason he had left. Zuko took a hold of her hand and held it firmly.

"That is unfortunate news. We have something in common with Naoki. Katara and I have come to say farewell."

Sokka's eyes grew as Katara smiled slightly and shrugged her shoulders. His face suddenly felt drawn out and then he sighed.

"So, I come and you go? Is that how it's going to be?"

She laughed slightly as she hugged her brother, something that seemed close to impossible a few days ago.

"I'm sorry Sokka, but Zuko and I must go on. We have overstayed our host's generosity."

Emi turned towards Katara and smiled sadly.

"I'll miss you a lot Katara. I know that it would be selfish of me to ask you to stay. You helped me more than you know."

She winked at Katara and in return, Katara gave her a quizzical look.

"I'm not sure I understand."

As Mrs. So swept Katara and Zuko into a ferocious hug, Katara saw a look pass between Sokka and Emi. She smiled, finally understanding what she meant.

"Oh, I will miss the two of you so much!! Even though it was for a short while, it felt like the two of you were my own children!"

Zuko backed away a bit and shook his head slightly. Katara laughed sheepishly as she waved her hand to distract away the tinge of blush on her cheeks. Mr. So nodded and clapped Zuko on his shoulder.

"I agree with my wife. You worked hard for your stay, and we are grateful for your help."

"We deeply appreciate your generosity," Zuko said while bowing.

Katara looked around the room and then sighed.

"I guess we should go now then…"

Suddenly, her stomach growled and everyone looked towards her with a raised eyebrow. Katara laughed and Mrs. So winked.

"Oh no you don't! You're not leaving here without a proper breakfast!"

..::-::..

Zuko and Katara waved cheerfully as they walked away from the house and the forest that now haunted their memories. The boastful sun lead them down the path towards the fields of shifting grass like it had done a while ago. Katara looked back after some time and saw that the city had disappeared from her view. She sighed and looked down at her hands. Sensing discomfort, Zuko wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer towards him as they walked on.

"What's wrong Katara?"

She didn't shift her gaze one bit, and then she choked on her words.

"What… what are we going to do now? We still have no place to stay at that we can call home. Look what happened when we tried settling down. We only got ourselves tangled into a mess. What are we going to do?"

Zuko smiled and kissed the top of her head gently.

"We'll travel around the world, visiting every place imaginable…"

Suddenly, something caught his eye in the field and he rushed away from her side. Katara's mouth dropped as she saw him bend down to pick something up. He ran back towards her as he hid his arm behind his back. He slowly finished his sentence.

"We'll visit every place we can, but we have nothing to worry about, as long as we have each other."

Katara's eyes began to water as he put his arm towards her. In his clutched hand was a familiar looking flower. She took it and breathed in its lovely smell. Katara could only smile as the memory flooded through her.

"It's a Lovaris."

Zuko nodded and smiled, taking her into his embrace.

"No matter what will happen, you'll always be my beautiful flower."

Katara held onto the flower and tilted her head, so that the bright rays of sun light could catch this moment, and that it would keep the wonderful flowing feeling inside of her heart forever.

**THE END**

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you liked it… even though I didn't :( I'm not sure what's wrong with me… but this fic wasn't one of my best. I'm sorry :( For those who did read, THANK YOU!! It means sooo much to me!! If you'd like to leave a review, you may :D

As for ending this fic, it's because there was nothing left to do with it. AND because, as I have said too much already, I've got a new Zutara fic that is probably going to be a ton better than this was! And maybe twice as long ;) SO, if you enjoyed this, and wish it was longer, be sure to check out the new fic **"Dying To Survive"** in the next week :D

Thanks again, and I hope you have a wonderful day:D

-Monika-


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